Children need to read about “miserable” things and not be shielded from “offensive” words, best-selling author Daniel Handler said.
Lemony Snicket’s writer has criticised publishers who are rewriting Roald Dahl’s books to make them more “inclusive” by removing words such as “fat”.
The 54-year-old said he understood the “need” to remove offensive language but condemned the “manipulation” of the BFG and Witches author’s work.
The writer of A Series of Unfortunate Events said Dahl’s work was “offensive” and should remain that way.
Dahl, who sold 300 million copies of his work, wrote children’s classics including James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Twits.
Children need to read about “miserable” things and not be shielded from “offensive” words, said bestselling author Daniel Handler (pictured)
Lemony Snicket’s author has criticised publishers who are rewriting Roald Dahl’s books to make them more “inclusive” by removing words such as “fat”. Pictured: Jim Carrey as Count Olaf in the 2004 film Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Anjelica Huston (left) as Miss Eva Ernst, the Grand High Witch, in a scene from the 1990 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s classic The Witches (right)
In February last year it was revealed that Puffin Books had re-edited some of the texts to remove language that today’s readers might find offensive regarding race, gender, weight and mental health.
She was forced to do a U-turn after announcing more than 50 changes last year to Roald Dahl’s 1983 children’s novel The Witches.
These changes include characters no longer being described as “fat” and references to “mothers” and “fathers” being updated to “parents” or “family.”
Asked on the Private Passions podcast if she supported rewriting Dahl’s work, Handler said: “Well, I was against it. I mean, I understand that impulse.
Dahl (pictured), who sold 300 million copies of his work, wrote children’s classics such as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Twits.
‘You know, if you’re with a child and there’s a strange noise in the middle of the night, what you want to say is that it’s nothing.
“If you see something in the news, I understand that you want to be protectionist about it.”
He continued: “You can’t do that, and you certainly can’t do it by manipulating Roald Dahl into making his words non-offensive.
“His words are offensive. I mean, he was an offensive person in some ways, and his stories are full of really, really horrible things.
“It’s a wonderful way to learn about miserable things.”
