Famed Novelist, Free Speech Advocate Slams 'Censorship' of Roald Dahl

This Fall, look out for Roald Dahl's latest (updated) novel: James And The Husky, Indepedent Peach.

Calls for changes in speech are concerning advocates of the free speech community. Especially when it comes to altering the work of a beloved children's author.

Woke Outrage Targets Another Children's Writer

Celebrated storyteller Roald Dahl made headlines this weekend after his estate's publisher announced that new copies of Dahl's books would be printed with "hundreds of changes" to the text to make them less offensive.

Changes have included removing descriptions such as "fat," "crazy," and "mad" to avoid any offense derived from Dahl's work.

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Speaking out against the apparent censorship is Indian-born novelist and free speech advocate Salman Rushdie.

Rushdie has endured attacks in the name of free speech, including a stabbing in New York in 2018 that left him blind in one eye. The religious extremist that attacked Rushdie stabbed him in the neck and face area during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution. His attacker was 24-year-old Hadi Matar and his motivation stemmed from a "fatwa" placed on Rushdie in the late 80s.

The author's 1988 book titled "The Satanic Verses" was critical of the Muslim community and prompted a deathly bounty on his head by ex-leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Pure 'Censorship'

Rushdie acknowledged the changes to Dahl's work; was left disgusted by the decision; and called it "absurd censorship."

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

Puffin Books is the children's imprint of prominent books publisher Penguin Books.

The publisher partnered with a group named Inclusive Mind: comprised of readers that update literature to fit a modern audience, thus eliminating anything that isn't politically correct.

One central change to Dahl's work was avoiding calling "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" character Augustus Gloop "fat."

This has been another attempt at canceling a legacy writer, namely one from children's literature.

Six of Dr. Seuss' books are no longer published after a PC uproar alleged that they contained "racist undertones."