The edited versions of Roald Dahl’s children’s books, which have caused a firestorm of controversy in the literary world, won’t be published in the U.S., Publishers Weekly reports.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Puffin, an imprint of the U.K.’s Penguin Books, was changing language in novels such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. The publisher removed descriptions of characters as “ugly” or “fat” and revised other language that readers might find offensive. The move drew criticism from authors including Salman Rushdie and Christopher Paolini.
Penguin Young Readers Group, which publishes Dahl’s books in the U.S., said the edited versions won’t be making their way to the States. “Roald Dahl books published by Penguin Young Readers and distributed in the U.S. are the editions that have existed for years and do not reflect the recent editorial changes made in U.K. editions,” a spokesperson for the publisher said. “Penguin Young Readers regularly reviews its backlist and Dahl titles will be reviewed accordingly.”
U.K. readers will also still be able to buy the original versions of the books. On Friday, the U.K. publisher announced it would offer “classic” editions of the novels, the Associated Press reports.
“We also recognize the importance of keeping Dahl’s classic texts in print,” said Francesca Dow, the managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s. “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.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
