The Dutch publisher of Roald Dahl’s children’s books is planning to discuss the row over text revisions with the British publishers in the near future, Trouw reported on Sunday.

British newspaper the Telegraph revealed this weekend that hundreds of changes had been made to the children’s classics after publisher Puffin and the Roald Dahl Story Company brought in ‘sensitivity readers’ to make sure his words ‘can continue to be enjoyed by all today’.

The revisions involve removing or altering references to weight, mental health, gender and race. A witch may be working as a ‘top scientist or running a business’ instead of as a ‘cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a businessman’ while Mrs Twit is no longer ‘ugly and beastly but just ‘beastly’.

Joris van de Leur, director of De Fontein, which has published Dahl’s stories for 20 years, told Trouw that small changes are made in the translation every reprint in full consultation with translator Huberte Vriesendorp.

The humour of his work lies in the exaggeration and stereotypes, Van de Leur said. ‘Children recognise these things and it makes them think about good and evil. If you remove them all, you lessen their power.’

‘The children’s book fair takes place in Bologna in 10 days and we will have a serious conversation with the British,’ he said.

Van de Leur told news agency ANP that he wanted to see a complete list of the changes which have been made in the British version. ‘Then we will see what we change and what we don’t,’ he said. ‘Unless the Roald Dahl Story Company orders us to make the changes anyway.’

Old fashioned language

Trouw’s children’s literature critic Bas Maliepaard said he understood some changes made in children’s books, such as the removal of the n word from Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking stories. ‘And I understand the adaptation of old-fashioned language when books are reprinted for the next generations,’ he said.

‘But I do have issues when the sharp edges are removed from a story,’ he said. ‘Children are not that stupid. They know damn well that a teacher can’t drag you across the playground by your hair, as happens in Matilda.’