Publisher Walks Back Woke Rewrites Of Roald Dahl’s Classic Stories, Will Release Original Text As Well

Book publisher Puffin has announced a walkback of its woke rewrites of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books after backlash.

Earlier this week, the Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the works of the British author, announced changes to his classic children’s stories, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda,” “James and the Giant Peach,” and “The BFG,” among others. But after a massive backlash from readers and commentators who enjoyed Dahl’s stories, Puffin announced it would release the original texts in addition to the woke updates.

“At Puffin we have proudly published Roald Dahl’s stories for more than forty years in partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company,” said Francesca Dow, managing director of Puffin’s parent company Penguin Random House. “Their mischievous spirit and his unique storytelling genius have delighted the imaginations of readers across many generations. 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.”

“As a children’s publisher, our role is to share the magic of stories with children with the greatest thought and care. Roald Dahl’s fantastic books are often the first stories young children will read independently, and taking care for the imaginations and fast-developing minds of young readers is both a privilege and a responsibility. We also recognise 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, marvellous stories.”

A total of seventeen titles will be published, including: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, and others. The books will also include “archive material relevant to each of the stories,” the press release stated. They will be available later this year.

Earlier this week, Puffin announced that it had collaborated with the Roald Dahl Story Co., which manages the copyright and trademarks, to make hundreds of alterations in order not to offend anyone with Dahl’s original works. The Roald Dahl Story Co. admitted they had worked with Inclusive Minds, which monitors children’s literature for inclusion, diversity, and accessibility, The Washington Post reported. The UK Telegraph published a list of some of the hundreds of changes made by editors over the years. Lines have been altered, words and phrases have been removed altogether, and even added in some cases, in order to “ensure that it can continue to be enjoyed by all today.”

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The backlash to the woke rewrites was swift and fierce, and included none other than Queen Consort Camilla. Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro summed up much of the reaction to the move on Tuesday. “Rewriting Roald Dahl to remove the nastiness and meanness removes half the charm of the books,” Shapiro tweeted. “The whole point of the books is that the world is filled with nastiness and meanness, and children have to learn to navigate it in adventurous ways.”

Shapiro and fellow Daily Wire hosts Matt Walsh and Brett Cooper also commented on the news on their podcasts.

Kansas Senate Passes First Bill Defining ‘Woman’ As A Biological Female

In a groundbreaking move, Kansas has become the first state to pass a bill that defines a “woman” as someone who is biologically born female, laying the groundwork for potential bans on males who identify as transgender women from using single-sex areas designated for females.

The Women’s Bill of Rights was approved by legislators in a 26-10 vote on Thursday, with only Republican support. The bill, spearheaded by Senator Renee Erickson, defines a female as someone “whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova,” while “male” refers to anyone whose reproductive system “is developed to fertilize the ova of a female.”

“This bill does not create any new rights or entitlements,” Senator Erickson told the Washington Times. “It simply codifies the definition of sex as biological male and female in existing statutes and laws.”

“There are legitimate reasons to distinguish between the sexes with respect to prisons, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers and other areas where safety and privacy are needed,” Erickson added.

The bill has already sparked a fierce backlash from Kansas Senate Democrats, who argue it is “equally offensive” to both transgender and “cisgender” women. The passing of this bill could lead to future laws banning male athletes who identify as transgender from girls and women’s K-12, club, and college sports, and may also prevent transgender people from changing their birth certificates and driver’s licenses after transitioning.

Senator Erickson insists that the bill is a “very factual” and “objective” move, simply codifying the definition of sex as biological male and female in existing statutes and laws. However, left-leaning politicians worldwide have struggled with defining what a “woman” is, with trans activists arguing that its definition should be inclusive of people who were born male, but later identify as female.

The Daily Wire documentary “What is a Woman?” explores the question of what defines a woman through interviews with various individuals, including politicians, medical professionals, a transgender opponent of medical transition for minors, and a transgender-affirming family therapist. The documentary also discusses transgender issues such as sex reassignment surgery, puberty blockers, transgender youth, and transgender athletes in women’s sports.

Riley Gaines, a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky, is among several public advocates who have called for increased protection of female athletes. Gaines has specifically spoken out against allowing transgender athletes to use women’s locker rooms. Gaines’ advocacy is partially based on her personal experience competing against Lia Thomas, a biological male who competed on the men’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania for three years before returning for one final year as a female swimmer and breaking records in the women’s pool.

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While the move has been welcomed by women’s rights campaigners such as Jennifer C. Braceras, director of the Independent Women’s Law Center, it has also received heavy criticism. Kansas Senate Democrats condemned the bill on Twitter, claiming it will pave the way for legislators to ban transgender people from public spaces altogether.

Similar measures have been considered in Oklahoma, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas, while legislators in South Carolina are considering a joint resolution that would amend the state constitution to define sex as biological sex at birth. Democrat Governor Laura Kelly, who has vetoed previous bills on biological sex definitions, is expected to veto the current bill. In the past, she vetoed a bill that sought to prohibit biological males from participating in women’s sports.