Roald Dahl collection to be published in original form later this year

Publisher Penguin Random House announced Friday it will publish "classic" versions of Roald Dahl's children's novels after it received criticism for cuts and rewrites that were intended to make the books suitable for modern readers.

Along with the new editions, the company said 17 of Dahl's books would be published in their original form later this year as "The Roald Dahl Classic Collection," so "readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl's stories they prefer."

The move comes after criticism of changes made to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and other much-loved classics for recent editions published under the company's Puffin children's label, in which passages relating to weight, mental health, gender and race were altered.

Augustus Gloop, Charlie's gluttonous antagonist in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory originally published in 1964 became "enormous" rather than "enormously fat." In Witches, a supernatural female posing as an ordinary woman may be a "top scientist or running a business" instead of a "cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a businessman."

WATCH l Reaction swift and strong, but Dahl edits were years in the making:

Roald Dahl books given inclusive edit by publishers

2 years ago

Duration 1:59

The British publishers of Roald Dahls classic novels have given the books a few tweaks to make the language more inclusive, but critics of the changes say it takes away from Dahls prose and borders on censorship.

The Roald Dahl Story Company, which controls the rights to the books, said it had worked with Puffin to review and revise the texts because it wanted to ensure that "Dahl's wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today."

While tweaking old books for modern sensibilities is not a new phenomenon in publishing, the scale of the edits drew strong criticism from free-speech groups such as writers' organization PEN America, and from authors including Salman Rushdie.

"When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the prime minister agrees with the BFG that you shouldn't gobblefunk around with words," a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said this week, aping the word-twisting language used by Dahl's Big Friendly Giant.

Camilla, the Queen Consort, appeared to offer her view at a literary reception on Thursday. She urged writers to "remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination."

New adaptations in the works

Dahl's books, with their mischievous children, strange beasts and often beastly adults, have sold more than 300 million copies and continue to be read by children around the world.

Their multiple stage and screen adaptations include Matilda the Musical and two Willy Wonkafilms based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with a third in the works.

Dahl, who died in 1990, is also a controversial figure because of antisemitic comments he made throughout his life. His family apologized in a statement in 2020.

In 2021, Dahl's estate sold the rights to the books to Netflix, which plans to produce a new generation of films based on the stories.

Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children's, said the publisher had "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."

"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," she said.