PJ Media recently reported that Puffin books, a children’s books imprint of Penguin Random House, had hired “sensitivity readers” to flag “problematic” portions of Roald Dahl’s classic novels, and Puffin would be publishing an altered version for the next generation of young readers. Changes included making the language more gender-neutral and removing references to words like “fat” and “ugly.”
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Outrage was quick, forcing Penguin to reverse course — somewhat. According to a report from the BBC, “the unaltered story books will now go alongside updated versions of his hugely popular children’s writing.”
The original works will be called The Roald Dahl Classic Collection.
“We’ve listened to the debate over the past week which has reaffirmed the extraordinary power of Roald Dahl’s books, and the very real questions around how stories from another era can be kept relevant for each new generation,” said Penguin’s managing director Francesca Dow.
Penguin says the decision to continue producing the original texts was made because “we recognise the importance of keeping Dahl’s classic texts in print.”
The following books are to be published in their original, unaltered form: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox, George’s Marvellous Medicine, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, The Twits, The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me, The Enormous Crocodile, Esio Trot, Billy and the Minpins, The Magic Finger, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, and Danny the Champion of the World.
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