Roald Dahl censorship: Original Roald Dahl works to be published alongside rewritten texts in new collection

They have long shaped children’s imaginations, with almost every household having a battered copy of one of Roald Dahl’s books that have been read time and time again, cover to cover.

There was significant backlash to the decision to rewrite Roald Dahl’s children’s books for a modern audience to remove content deemed offensive, such as references to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race when it was announced last week, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak even weighing in on the move.

Following significant backlash, Puffin has now announced it will publish original Roald Dahl works alongside rewritten texts in a new collection following a backlash over censorship claims.

Books by the much-loved children’s author had been rewritten to cater for the sensitivities of modern audiences after Puffin Books confirmed they had carried out a review of Dahl’s classics to ensure they could be enjoyed by all children.

Following significant backlash, Puffin has announced it will publish original Roald Dahl works alongside rewritten texts in new collection following a backlash over censorship claims after it was announced some books would be rewritten.

However, acclaimed author Sir Salman Rushdie was among those to condemn the changes. Puffin UK has subsequently announced the release of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, to keep the author’s classic texts in print along with those that had been rewritten.

The 17 titles will be published under the Penguin logo, as individual titles in paperback, and will be available later this year. The collection will also have archive material relevant to each of the stories.

The Roald Dahl Classic Collection will sit alongside the newly released and rewritten Puffin Roald Dahl books for young readers, which are designed for children who may be navigating written content independently for the first time.

Readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer.

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.

“We also recognise the importance of keeping Dahl’s classic texts in print. By making both Puffin and Penguin versions available, we are offering readers the choice to decide how they experience Roald Dahl’s magical, marvellous stories.

“Roald Dahl once said: ‘If my books can help children become readers, then I feel I have accomplished something important’. At Puffin, we’ll keep pursuing that ambition for as long as we make books.”

Dahl died in 1990 at the age of 74, but has regularly topped the list of the nation’s favourite authors. However, his legacy has been marred by his anti-Semitic views.

In 2020, his family apologised, saying they recognised the “lasting and understandable hurt caused by Roald Dahl’s anti-Semitic statements”.