Beyond his enchanted children’s books, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to James and the Big Peach, Roald Dhal’s controversial legacy takes center stage once again. The central England museum named after the British writer condemned racism in a press release this Thursday, July 20 “undeniable and indelible” von Dahl, two years after his family apologized for his anti-Semitic remarks.
Roald Dahl, a staple in the libraries of many children around the world, died in 1990 at the age of 74. Several of his works have been adapted for cinema, resulting in films that have enjoyed great success. But the author is also known for anti-Semitic statements, notably in an interview with the British magazine New Statesman in 1983: he legitimized anti-Semitism and seemed to find justifications for Hitler.
In a statement, his museum, a charity, said “Condemns all racism, including anti-Semitism, directed against any group or individual”. “Roald Dahl’s racism is undeniable and indelible, but we hope Dahl’s creative legacy has the potential to make a difference.”, writes the museum. The statement is posted at the entrance to the museum at Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire. It also appears on his website.
“Since 2021 we have been in contact with several Jewish community organizations. […] This process includes training for our staff and trustees through the Antisemitism Policy Trust.” developing resources for schools, the museum writes.
“We want to continue listening and discussing to find out how our organization can further contribute to the fight against hate and prejudice by supporting the work of experts already working in this area, including those in the Jewish community.”
The museum says that is not the case “will not publicly repeat Dahl’s anti-Semitic statements”but that he “Will record in the museum collection what he wrote and said lest it be forgotten.”
In February, an outcry was sparked by the announcement that new editions of Roald Dahl’s books would be smoothed out to remove terms deemed offensive on subjects such as weight, gender, race and mental health. The British publisher finally announced that it would continue to publish the original versions in a special collection.
