EXPLAINED: Why Salman Rushdie lashed out at ‘absurd censorship’ of Roald Dahl books
EXPLAINED: Why Salman Rushdie lashed out at ‘absurd censorship’ of Roald Dahl books
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One of the most influential personalities across the globe and Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie recently lashed out at a British publisher’s “absurd censorship” after it rewrote certain sections of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books as the publishing house felt the language quite offensive.
Popular Dahl’s classics that were adapted to screens including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda references to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race are to be rewritten or removed to avoid offence to sensitive readers.
As per a report in The Daily Telegraph, a character who is fat has become enormous while references to small men have been changed to small people. Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Random House has made these changes in the books.
The Roald Dahl Story Company controls the right to the books which worked with Puffin to review the texts to ensure that “Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today”.
Taking to Twitter, Salman bashed Puffin Books and wrote, “Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed.”
He was a self confessed antisemite, with pronounced racist leanings, and he joined in the attack on me back in 1989… but thanks for telling me off for defending his work from the bowdlerizing Sensitivity Police. https://t.co/OWcftBkJBH
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) February 19, 2023
In a follow-up comment, he added, “He [Dahl] was a self confessed antisemite, with pronounced racist leanings, and he joined in the attack on me back in 1989… but thanks for telling me off for defending his work from the bowdlerising Sensitivity Police.”
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also waded into the controversy as his official spokesperson quoted one of Dahl’s famous works to say: “When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the Prime Minister agrees with ‘The BFG’ that we shouldn’t gobblefunk around with words.”
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America also shared her thought on ‘absurd censorship and tweeted, “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.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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