'This is absurd.' Why everyone is talking about Roald Dahl's books.

Forever immortalised in the minds of Roald Dahl's fans, Mr and Mrs Twit are a grotesque couple of animal haters that receive a typically gruesome comeuppance. 

But in 2023, should this awful fictional pair continue to be described as "ugly and fat"? 

Not according to Dahl's estate and publisher Puffin, who are working together to remove offensive language and update all of Dahl's books in line with modern day sensibilities.

Watch: Keryn Donnelly on her favourite books. Post continues below. 

What changes are being made and why?

Puffin Books have hired sensitivity readers to remove offensive language and replace or update old-fashioned terminology.

According to The Guardian in the UK, most of these changes relate to the physical appearances of characters. The words "fat" and "ugly" have been removed from every new edition of Dahl's books including The Twits. Chocolate lover Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now described as "enormous" as opposed to "enormously fat".

Anything racist such as the phrase "weird African language" in The Twits has been replaced by "African language", and words like "crazy" or "mad" have been removed to reflect modern attitudes to mental illness.

Likewise, gender-neutral terms have replaced many previous gender references such as describing the Oompa Loompas as "small people" instead of "small men", and "woman" has replaced the word "female", for example Miss Trunchbull in Matilda is now referred to as a "most formidable woman" and not a "most formidable female".

In some cases, small additional paragraphs have also been added to provide context or clarity. 

In the latest edition of The Witches, a new sentence reads: "There are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs and there is certainly nothing wrong with that." 

They also printed a notice of explanation from the publisher at the bottom of the copyright page on the latest printed editions.

It reads: "The wonderful words of Roald Dahl can transport you to different worlds and introduce you to the most marvellous characters. This book was written many years ago, so we regularly review the language to ensure it can continue to be enjoyed by all today."

The Roald Dahl Story Company with Puffin made the most recent changes with the help of Inclusive Minds, a collective that aims "to ensure authentic representation, by working closely with the book world and with those who have lived experience of any facet of diversity".

While these updates might be newsworthy, The Roald Dahl Story Company have said that an ongoing review process has been in place since 2020, and that all changes have been "small and carefully considered".

Listen: Holly, Jessie and Mia discuss the changes to Roald Dahl's books on Mamamia Out Loud. Post continues below.

What are people saying about the changes?

Whereas many see these "small and carefully considered" changes to Dahl's work as a sensible way to stay relevant with modern audiences, a number of high-profile people have openly criticised the changes.

A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said "works of fiction should be preserved and not airbrushed".

"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," the spokesperson said.

Another outspoken critic of changing Dahl's work is Salman Rushdie, who tweeted his disapproval.

"Roald Dahl was no angel, but this is absurd censorship," the Booker Prize-winning author wrote.

Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed. https://t.co/sdjMfBr7WW

— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) February 18, 2023

Laura Hackett, deputy Literary editor of The Sunday Times in the UK, will not be buying or reading one of the new amended editions.

"I think the sort of nastiness is what makes Dahl so much fun," Wackett told BBC Radio. 

"You love it when, in Matilda, Bruce Bogtrotter is forced to eat that whole chocolate cake, or you are locked up in the Chokey [a torture device]. That's what children love.

"And to remove all references to violence or anything that's not clean and nice and friendly, then you remove the spirit of those stories."

While many are concerned about the broader effects of editing a writer's work posthumously, others believe in shifting the focus away from Dahl entirely.

Author of His Dark Materials Philip Pullman told BBC Radio 4 that rather than change his words, it might be better to just let Dahl's work "go out of print" in favour of highlighting the work of modern children's authors who struggle to cut through because of "the massive commercial gravity of people like Roald Dahl".

Literary agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes told The Guardian that she thought Disney's method of using disclaimers was preferable to editing an author's work.

"Perhaps for older books, publishers could do something similar to what Disney has done in front of their old animated films e.g. The Aristocrats with a disclaimer saying it contains offensive language and depictions."

Gaby Hinsliff writes that making the minor changes is merely a smart financial move to keep millennial parents and teachers happy, after the rights to Dahl's estate were were sold to Netflix in 2021 for over AUD$800 million. 

"This looks more like a hardheaded business decision to protect those Netflix rights and avoid Dahl sharing the fate of the equally beloved Dr Seuss, some of whose titles were dropped in the US after being deemed culturally insensitive. 

"Given his own famously antisemitic views, Dahl has always, perhaps, been a high cancellation risk, and the books themselves were starting to show their age compared with modern children’s titles."

What do you think of the amendments to Dahl's work? Will you be happy to read your kids the new versions or stick to the originals? Please tell us in the comments below!

Laura Jackel is Mamamia's Family Writer. For links to her articles and to see photos of her outfits and kids, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Feature Image: Getty.

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