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Roald Dahl: Why are they rewriting Roald Dahl?
Image source, Ronald Dumont/Getty
Books by popular children's author Roald Dahl are being changed, to make them more suitable for modern audiences.
Roald Dahl is famous for his books including The BFG, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The changes include removing offensive references of characters' appearance such as "ugly" or "fat".
The Roald Dahl estate and book publisher Puffin decided to make these changes, so the books "can continue to be enjoyed by all today".
But many people disagree with changes, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Find out why the books are changing and what people think below.
Why are Roald Dahl's books being changed?
Image source, Quentin Blake.
Roald Dahl wrote more than 20 children's books including The Twits, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, many of which were then turned into films.
The changes are happening because the Roald Dahl Story Company worked with publisher Puffin and Inclusive Minds - a group working towards better inclusion and accessibility in children's books.
The books were checked by sensitivity readers, who look for any potentially offensive language.
A spokesperson for the Roald Dahl Story Company said it wanted "to ensure that Roald Dahl's wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today".
The review process has been taking place since 2020, and any of the changes were "small and carefully considered". The Dahl company said it wasn't unusual to review language when reprinting books.
What are people saying about the changes to Roald Dahl's books?
Image source, Ben Stansall/Pool via REUTERS
There are disagreements about whether the books should be edited or not.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticised the changes. A spokesperson for Mr Sunak said: "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."
Gobblefunk is a word Dahl invented, which means to play around with words and invent new words or meanings.
Image source, Silver Screen Collection/Getty
Author of His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman told the 麻豆官网首页入口 Dahl's books "should be allowed to fade away" rather than be changed if they are seen to be offensive.
"If Dahl offends us, let him go out of print. Read all these [other] wonderful authors who are writing today, who don't get as much of a look-in because of the massive commercial gravity of people like Roald Dahl," said Philip Pullman.
But others agree with the changes. Debjani Chatterjee is a poet and author, she said it's: "a very good thing that the publishers are reviewing his work".
She added: "I think it's been done quite sensitively. Take the word 'fat'. They've used 'enormous'. If anything, I actually think 'enormous' is even funnier."
Roald Dahl died aged 74, in 1990, and is still one of the most popular children's author.
We want to know what you think. Do you agree that the books should be changed and possibly offensive words removed? Or should the books be left as they are?