Key Points
- Children's books written by Roald Dahl are being edited to remove language deemed offensive.
- Descriptions of characters' appearances are being edited, with words like "fat" and "ugly" removed.
- Some authors and critics say the changes amount to "censorship".
The children's books Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, and The Witches have been fixtures of many childhoods over the years, but future editions will read differently.
Following consultation with sensitivity readers, publishers Puffin and the Roald Dahl Story Company (acquired by streaming service Netflix in 2021) have made a series of changes throughout the books to remove language deemed offensive or insensitive to modern audiences.
The changes primarily relate to descriptions of physical appearances, with the character of Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory being changed from "enormously fat" to "enormous".
In The Twits, descriptions have been changed from "ugly and beastly" to simply "beastly".
The language used to describe women and physical differences - such as witches being bald - has also been edited.
Books by Roald Dahl have been edited to appeal to modern audiences. Source: Getty
The changes, which were first reported by Britain's Daily Telegraph, were made in collaboration with Inclusive Minds, an organisation that works to "break down barriers" and "challenge stereotypes" in children's books.
This isn't the first time entertainment content has been edited to reflect societal changes.
In 2020, Disney added a message to the beginning of old films such as Peter Pan and Dumbo warning of racist stereotypes that perpetuate "negative depictions" of people and cultures.
Warner Bros has also added warnings to old cartoons, acknowledging that the depictions "do not represent today's society" but are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise "would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."
Inclusivity or censorship?
While Puffin said the edits were made to ensure the books "can continue to be enjoyed by all today", the changes have attracted some criticism online.
Author Salman Rushdie described the changes as "censorship".
"Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship," he wrote on Twitter.
"Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed."
PEN America, an organisation dedicated to "protecting open expression", described the changes as "alarming."
"We are alarmed at news of 'hundreds of changes' to venerated works by Roald Dahl in a purported effort to scrub the books of that which might offend someone,"
"Amidst fierce battles against book bans and strictures on what can be taught and read, selective editing to make works of literature conform to particular sensibilities could represent a dangerous new weapon."
References to characters being fat have been changed in new editions of Roald Dahl's books. Source: SBS News
How does language change over time?
Nick Enfield, professor of linguistics at the University of Sydney, said words can change in both meaning and typical use over time.
Professor Enfield said the word "fat" being used to describe evil characters in Roald Dahl's books is an example of attitudes and sensitivities around words evolving over time.
"The idea of using the word 'fat' to describe someone when you're clearly trying to paint a picture of how awful they are ... there's a value set around pointing that out about someone and using it as an evaluation of their character," he said.
"What's changed in that case is not the fundamental meaning of that word, but the appropriateness of the word for a certain sort of context."
Professor Enfield believes the language in Roald Dahl's books represents just a small sample of stereotypes and values portrayed across entertainment throughout history.
"I think if you read other books from that era, there is tonnes of stuff that would be regarded as inappropriate today," he said.
"Stories have kind of racist overtones, or paint a picture of different cultures ... it's clear the norms are very different and there has been a great change."
Dahl - who died in 1990 - has previously been criticised for antisemitic remarks, including an interview where he claimed the “Jewish character” provoked animosity.
British author Road Dahl is known for books including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The Witches. Source: Getty / Ronald Dumont/Daily Express/Hulton Archive
"Even a stinker like Hitler didn't just pick on them for no reason."
In 2020, his family issued an apology for his comments.
"Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl’s stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations," they said.
Dahl's books have been translated into 63 languages and sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.
