Roald Dahl inclusive book edits prompt criticism of “absurd censorship”

[PHDNM]

Roald Dahl inclusive book edits prompt criticism of “absurd censorship”

19 feb 2023

Among the changes, according to the Telegraph, are the removal of the word "fat," such as when it was used to describe the character of Augustus Gloop from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The word "ugly" was also removed.

Gender-neutral language was also added to describe certain characters, such as in reference to "mothers and fathers," which is now "parents."

In some cases, language was also added, such as in "The Witches," in a paragraph about the witches being bald under their wigs.

"There are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs and there is certainly nothing wrong with that," a new line reads, per the Telegraph.

https://www.axios.com/2023/02/19/roa...hildrens-books

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...nguage-altered

[PHDNM]

Was Roald Dahl’s “anti-semitism” based on experience?

March 22, 2023

During the past month one of the world’s best known children’s writers has been at the centre of controversy over ‘politically correct’ or ‘woke’ censorship of his work.

Roald Dahl died in November 1990 but his work continues to earn vast sums for his family, both from reprints of his books and from film and television adaptations. His publishers Puffin spent three years combing through all of his books with the help of “sensitivity readers” from the risibly named organisation Inclusive Minds, before making extensive amendments, to remove what they termed “derogatory language”.

After the Daily Telegraph revealed these changes, there was a very unusual and partly successful reaction against this latest excess of ‘wokeness’. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and ex-PM Boris Johnson were in rare agreement in criticising the publisher. Novelist Salman Rushdie tweeted that “Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed”. And even Queen Consort Camilla joined in, letting it be known that she was “shocked and dismayed” by the changes to Dahl’s originals.

Was Roald Dahl's "anti-semitism" based on experience? - Real History