Roald Dahl's publisher backs down after anti-woke backlash: 'Classic' language version to stay in print

A U.K. children's book publisher has relented after the firestorm of criticism it faced for taking out language in one famous author's books that might offend sensitive readers.

Puffin UK, the children's imprint of Penguin Random House Publisher, announced Friday it would release Roald Dahl's original works later this year in a "classic" collection to accompany the more "inclusive" version they recently released.

"The Roald Dahl Classic Collection will sit alongside the newly released Puffin Roald Dahl books for young readers… readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer," the publisher said in a press release.

Puffin UK and the late author's estate came under scrutiny after updating passages in the U.K. editions of books like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to appeal to modern readers. 

Language describing "fat" characters was altered and gender-neutral language was added, among other changes.

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Responding to the backlash, the managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s said they've "listened" to the debate and "recognize the importance of keeping Dahl's classic texts in print."

"We’ve 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… We also recognize the importance of keeping Dahl’s classic texts in print. By making both Puffin and Penguin versions available, we are offering readers the choice to decide how they experience Roald Dahl’s magical, marvelous stories," Francesca Dow said in the press release.

"Hundreds" of words were reportedly removed from the updated versions of Dahl's classic novels.

For instance, in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," the chubby character Augustus Gloop is now described as "enormous," while Mrs. Twit, a character from "The Twits," is described as just "beastly" instead of "ugly and beastly."

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Gender-inclusive language has also replaced original text in some cases. 

The Oompa Loompas in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" were once described by Dahl as "small men," but now they are known in the rewritten books as "small people." Similarly, in "James and the Giant Peach," the Cloud-Men are now Cloud-People.

The Roald Dahl Story Company defended the publisher's decision to Fox News Digital, arguing that "it's not unusual to review the language" used in works of the past and that the changes were "small and carefully considered."

Author Salman Rushdie, who has been targeted with death threats and an assassination attempt over his fictional work, blasted the changes as "absurd."

"Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship," Rushdie tweeted. "Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed."

Author Michael Shellenberger cited reports that readers were rushing to buy unaltered copies of the novels and blasted the changes as "Woke totalitarian censorship."

"After @Telegraph discovered that the publisher of late British children’s author Roald Dahl had censored & re-written his books, copies of Dahl’s original books have been flying off the shelf. Funny that. People don’t like Woke totalitarian censorship," he tweeted.

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Dahl isn't the first children's novelist to be targeted by cancel culture. 

A national debate sparked over Dr. Seuss books in recent years after the late author's estate removed six books from publication citing "racist" and insensitive imagery.

Fox News' Kyle Morris, Cortney O'Brien and Yael Halon contributed to this report.