Roald Dahl classic novels to be released in original format after editing row
Penguin will now release 'classic' versions of Roald Dahl books following heavy criticism of new changes to the children's stories.
References to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race were last week revealed to be removed or altered in a new versions of books written by the late children's author.
Intended to cater for the sensitivities of modern audiences following a review by the Roald Dahl Story Company and Puffin Books, the changes have proved highly controversial, with acclaimed author Sir Salman Rushdie and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak among those who blasted the move.
But publishing giant Penguin has now announced the release of its own Roald Dahl Classic Collection, which it said will "keep the author's classic texts in print".
References to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race were last week revealed to be removed or altered in a new versions of the books (Andrew Burton/AP/REX/Shutterstock)The new edited versions will still be published under the children's imprint Puffin, which is owned by Penguin Random House.
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On Friday, Francesca Dow managing director of Penguin Random House Children's, said: "At Puffin we have proudly published Roald Dahl's stories for more than 40 years in partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company. Their mischievous spirit and his unique storytelling genius have delighted the imaginations of readers across many generations.
"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.
"As a children's publisher, our role is to share the magic of stories with children with the greatest thought and care. Roald Dahl's fantastic books are often the first stories young children will read independently, and taking care for the imaginations and fast-developing minds of young readers is both a privilege and a responsibility.
Ms Dow said having both versions on sale would give readers to the choice decide how they experience Roald Dahl's "magical" and "marvellous" stories.
James And The Giant Peach is among the books that will be included in the Roald Dahl Classic Collection later this year (SCU)The publishing company confirmed 17 Dahl titles will be published under the Penguin logo later this year and will include archive material relevant to each of the stories.
Among these will be fan favourites Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Matilda and Fantastic Mr Fox, as well as The BFG and James And The Giant Peach.
Changes in the revised editions reportedly include removing the word "fat" from every book, with the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character Augustus Gloop instead being referred to as "enormous".
This change can also be seen in James and the Giant Peach, where earlier editions saw the Centipede sing a song which refers to Aunt Sponge as "terrifically fat" and "tremendously flabby".
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