Penguin to publish "classic" Roald Dahl books after "censorship" backlash
CBSN
Publisher Penguin Random House said Friday it will publish "classic" unexpurgated versions of Roald Dahl's children's novels after it faced a backlash over its plan to cut and rewrite sections of his books with the intention of making them suitable for modern readers.
The new editions, which remove passages related to weight, mental health, gender and race, will appear along with reprints of 17 of Dahl's books in their original form later, with the latter branded 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 the changes sparked a backlash among both readers and literary figures, with author Salman Rushdie, who has been recovering after a stabbing attack last summer, writing on Twitter, "Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship." Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, a nonprofit that protects writers and freedom of expression, said the organization was "alarmed" at the effort.
