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Salman Rushdie Comments on Roald Dahl’s Books Censorship

Rushdie, 75, who suffered vision loss in one eye after being brutally stabbed while performing on stage in New York last year, called the decision to prohibit a deceased novelist's writings "absurd censorship" on Twitter.
on Feb 21, 2023

Salman Rushdie, a Mumbai-born Booker Prize winner, is one of the most prominent authors to criticize a British publisher for its "absurd censorship" when it changed portions of Roald Dahl's well-known children's novels because the language was judged objectionable.

References to weight, mental health, violence, gender, and racism are to be changed or eliminated in Dahl's masterpieces, including well-known works adapted for the big screen like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Matilda," to prevent offense.

A story in The Daily Telegraph claims that references to diminutive men have been altered to small people, while a character who is obese becomes monstrous.

These works have undergone revisions thanks to Puffin Books, a unit of Penguin Random House.

The Roald Dahl Story Company, which oversees the book rights, collaborated with Puffin to evaluate the texts so that "all children today may continue to enjoy Dahl's amazing stories and characters."

Rushdie spoke out against this action against the renowned British author of the 20th century.

"Roald Dahl wasn't perfect, but this is ridiculous censorship. He tweeted on Sunday, "Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed.

Ayatollah Khomeini, the former supreme leader of Iran, issued a fatwa calling Muslims to execute the British-American author for the purportedly "blasphemous" book "The Satanic Verses," and the author has lived in its shadow for years.

After a further tweet, Rushdie responded, "He [Dahl] was a self-acknowledged antisemite, with evident racist leanings, and he joined in the attack on me back in 1989... nonetheless, I appreciate you calling me out for supporting his work against the snooping Sensitivity Police. With his official spokeswoman citing one of Dahl's well-known works, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also entered the fray, saying: "When it comes to our great and varied literary history, the Prime Minister agrees with "The BFG" that we shouldn't gobble-funk about with words."

"Selective editing to make works of literature conform to particular sensibilities could represent a dangerous new weapon amid fierce battles against book bans and restrictions on what can be taught and read," tweeted Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, a group of thousands of writers who support freedom of expression.

Those who support particular changes to Dahl's work "should think about how the ability to alter books may be utilized by individuals who do not share their beliefs and tastes," she said.

The fantasy trilogy "His Dark Materials" is the work of English author Philip Pullman, who believes that works should age naturally rather than be revised.

Pullman responded, "Let him go out of print."

The Roald Dahl Story Company, which collaborates with Inclusive Minds, a group promoting diversity and accessibility in children's reading, and Puffin Publishers, said that any adjustments are "minimal and well studied."

A representative for the Roald Dahl Story Company stated, "We want to make sure that all youngsters may still enjoy Roald Dahl's amazing stories and characters today.

It's not unusual to evaluate the language used while changing other features like a book's cover and page layout when releasing new print runs of books published years ago. The representative said, "Our guiding concept has been to keep the plots, characters, and the irreverence and razor-sharp attitude of the original material.

Dahl, who passed away in 1990 at the age of 74, was well-known for some of his opinions.

To "truly apologize for the lasting and understandable anguish caused by Roald Dahl's anti-semitic sentiments," the Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company released a statement in 2020.

"Such sexist sentiments are beyond our comprehension and contrast sharply with the man we knew and the ideals underpinning Roald Dahl's works, which have influenced young people for centuries. Roald Dahl can help remind us of the enduring significance of words, just as he did at his very best and worst, the statement said.