The collected rewritings of Roald Dahl
Puffin Books has made hundreds of changes to the latest editions of Roald Dahl’s books (Bookseller, Spectator, Telegraph, Telegraph, Times). Working in partnership with Inclusive Minds – an organisation that employs so-called sensitivity readers to help organisations implement diversity, equality and inclusion policies – the publisher has, as it puts it, “brought [the texts] up to date” (Telegraph).
“Words matter,” begins the discreet notice, which sits at the bottom of the copyright page of Puffin’s latest editions of Roald Dahl’s books. “The wonderful words of Roald Dahl can transport you to different worlds and introduce you to the most marvellous characters. This book was written many years ago, and so we regularly review the language to ensure that it can continue to be enjoyed by all today.”
A sensitivity reader with ‘lived experience’ of George Orwell’s oeuvre might well advise Puffin to rephrase that notice: all words are equal, but some words are more equal than others. In Dahl’s case, for instance, Puffin and its subcontracted sensitivity readers took the view that far too many of his lexical choices were outdated, harmful, and therefore replaceable. Presumably, that’s why they felt intensely relaxed about granting themselves licence to edit this – eugh! – dead white male’s prose, chopping, tweaking, altering and even adding entirely new sections where necessary to bring his books into line with ‘progressive’ sensibilities.
Language related to weight, mental health, violence, gender, and race has been cut and rewritten. The Cloud-Men in James and the Giant Peach are now the Cloud-People. The Oompa-Loompas in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory have also transitioned from “small men” into “small people”. Fantastic Mr Fox’s Small Foxes are now female. In Matilda, a mention of male, pale and stale Rudyard Kipling has been cut and Jane Austen added. And so on and so, didactically, forth.
It’s Roald Dahl, but only now with the underlying philosophical worldview of a prim and earnest twentysomething Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer in the NHS. And on occasion, it would seem, similar levels of literary talent. In Roald Dahl’s The Witches, for example, the following passage:
“Don’t be foolish,” my grandmother said. “You can’t go round pulling the hair of every lady you meet, even if she is wearing gloves. Just you try it and see what happens.”
Becomes:
“Don’t be foolish,” my grandmother said. “Besides, there are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.”
The best you can say about whoever wrote that passage is that they’d probably have done very well if they’d taken up some other line of employment.
Elsewhere in the book, Dahl’s story and plotline is recruited into the cause of increasing the number of women in STEM careers. The following passage:
Even if she is working as a cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a businessman.
Becomes:
Even if she is working as a top scientist or running a business.
It’s the adjective ‘top’ that takes us to the heart of what’s really going on here. Unnecessary and disruptive from the point of view of prosody, it is nevertheless critical to Puffin’s proselytising mission. So there it stands, surrounded by the rubble of Dahl’s literary style like some grim, brutalist monument to Orwellian Newspeak.
In Fantastic Mr Fox a description of two tractors as “machines” that were “both black”, has also been cut. In Dahl’s new world, it seems, describing a tractor as “black” is racist.
Alexandra Strick, a co-founder of Inclusive Minds, said her organisation “aims to ensure authentic representation, by working closely with the book world and with those who have lived experience of any facet of diversity”. When it comes to the production of “authentic” revisions for something as vast as Dahl’s back catalogue, she explained, the company is able to call upon a team of “Inclusion Ambassadors” with a wide variety of “lived experience”. Lived experience of tractors?
Puffin has since defended its work with Inclusive Minds, insisting that it has a “significant responsibility” to protect young readers and that the changes are “minimal” (Telegraph).
But are the changes minimal?
In linguistics a distinction is often made between three different roles available for the production of speech: the principal, whose position the talk is meant to represent, the author, who does the scripting, and the animator, who says the words. It’s obvious even from the few examples cited above that Puffin is at times positioning itself as the invisible author behind Dahl’s prose. In the parlance of the mafia, he’s being repositioned as the front man for Puffin’s psychological protection racket. Some people might feel that that’s not a “minimal” change at all, but actually a substantial infringement of an author’s right to freedom of speech and expression.
Sir Salman Rushdie led the backlash against what he described as “absurd censorship” at the hands of Puffin’s “bowdlerising sensitivity police” (Express, Telegraph). Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also condemned the publisher’s actions. Asked about the changes, Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said: “It is important that works of literature, works of fiction, are preserved and not airbrushed.” (Times).
Meanwhile, Suzanne Nossel, the CEO of literature and human rights organisation PEN America, said she was “alarmed” at the changes, which “could represent a dangerous new weapon”. Ms Nossel added: “Literature is meant to be surprising and provocative. That’s part of its potency. By setting out to remove any reference that might cause offense you dilute the power of storytelling.”
The Queen Consort appears to agree, having taken what is being interpreted as a “subtle dig” at Puffin (Express, Guardian). Speaking at a Clarence House reception to mark the second anniversary of her online book club, she told assembled authors: “Please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.” Looking up from her notes with a mischievous smile, she added: “Enough said.” (Mail, Telegraph). Her comments were greeted by laughter and cheers of “hear, hear”. Hear, hear.
This piece was written in my capacity as the Free Speech Union’s Communications Officer, and first appeared in the organisation’s Weekly News Round-up. The Free Speech Union exists to protect those who’ve been cancelled, harassed, sacked or penalised for exercising their legal right to free speech whether in the workplace or the public square. Please take a look at the great work the organisation does - our Twitter account is here.