Anthony Horowitz slams Roald Dahl publishers for censoring literary icon's works trends now

Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has lashed out at book firms 'tampering' with the work of dead writers and accused Roald Dahl's publishers of having 'shot themselves in the foot' after censoring his works. 

Horowitz, who penned the Alex Rider series aimed at under-15s, said he was against publishers making changes amid an ongoing row over reader sensitivity blighting the literary industry. 

In recent months, publishers have edited out words deemed 'offensive' in books by late authors Dahl, Agatha Christie and James Bond creator, Ian Fleming. 

The practice has been slammed by a number of top writers, with Sir Philip Pullman demanding publishers let books 'go out of print' rather than editing them. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak even waded into the debate, criticising the changes. 

Horowitz, who previously said he was 'very scared' of 'cancel culture' after being forced to rewrite swathes of one of his latest books, said it is better for children to read 'offensive' books than none at all. 

Appearing at Oxford Literary Festival, the 67-year-old author slammed alterations to Dahl's books by publisher Puffin, which have seen the removal of 'fat' and 'ugly' to describe characters - with 'ugly and beastly' in Mrs Twit changed to just 'beastly'.   

'They really shot themselves in the foot with their attempts to bowdlerise it,' he told festival-goers, reported The Times.

'I'm basically opposed to tampering with the work of dead writers. They can't defend themselves.

'It seems to me that you should take the work, judge it and be aware of why we no longer share these opinions, or this view of the world. Rather than censor, cut and take out stuff.'

The author reportedly told audiences the country's literacy woes - which see a quarter of 11-year-olds in England failing to meet the expected reading standard -  meant reading any material should be championed. 

The comments come after it was revealed over the weekend that several of the passages in Agatha Christie's Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries had reportedly been reworked or stripped altogether from new editions of the books.

Publisher HarperCollins eliminated text containing 'insults or references to ethnicity', as well as descriptions of certain characters' physiques, The Telegraph reported.

New editions of Ms Christie's novels, reviewed by the newspaper, showed that editors have made 'scores of changes' to her books.