Roald Dahl: Original books to be printed by Penguin following criticism

Roald Dahl's archetypal books are to beryllium printed nether their Puffin titles, publishing location Penguin has said.

The unaltered communicative books volition present spell alongside updated versions of his hugely fashionable children's writing.

Earlier this week, Dahl's property said books specified arsenic the BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had been made much suitable for modern audiences.

Words including "fat" and "ugly" were removed, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said they should not beryllium "airbrushed".

Sir Salman Rushdie called the edits "censorship", whilst His Dark Materials writer Philip Pullman told BBC Radio 4 that Dahl's books "should beryllium allowed to slice away", not changed if radical justice them to beryllium offensive.

Penguin's managing manager Francesca Dow said: "We've listened to the statement implicit the past week which has reaffirmed the bonzer powerfulness of Roald Dahl's books, and the precise existent questions astir however stories from different epoch tin beryllium kept applicable for each caller generation."

Penguin said their latest determination to support producing the archetypal versions was due to the fact that "we recognise the value of keeping Dahl's classical texts successful print".

Puffin said the merchandise of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, featuring archetypal versions of his children's books, was successful bid to "keep the texts successful print".

Francesca Dow added: "At Puffin we person proudly published Roald Dahl's stories for much than 40 years successful concern with the Roald Dahl Story Company.

"Their mischievous tone and his unsocial storytelling genius person delighted the imaginations of readers crossed galore generations.

Updated changes to his books see "fat" being removed successful notation to Augustus Gloop successful Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, whilst Mrs Twit successful The Twits is nary longer referred to arsenic "ugly and beastly" but conscionable "beastly".

Also successful The Twits, "a weird African language" is nary longer weird successful the caller updated versions.

The titles owed to beryllium published without immoderate edits are: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox, George's Marvellous Medicine, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, The Twits, The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me, The Enormous Crocodile, Esio Trot, Billy and the Minpins, The Magic Finger, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Danny the Champion of the World.

Penguin said they volition beryllium disposable earlier the extremity of the year.

Dahl, who died aged 74 successful 1990, remains 1 of the UK's astir fashionable children's authors, and Netflix bought the rights to his works successful 2021.

But antisemitic comments made passim his beingness led to Dahl being a highly problematic figure.

In 2020, his household apologised, saying they recognised the "lasting and understandable wounded caused by Roald Dahl's antisemitic statements".