Who is Jo Ross-Barrett? Meet the autistic, non-binary, asexual, polyamorous anarchist censoring Roald Dahl
LONDON, ENGLAND: It has come to light that Roald Dahl's books were revised and censored for the sake of better inclusion. The editors spent months censoring his books, eliminating language that can be deemed "insensitive" and "non-inclusive."
The move was heavily criticized, with author Salman Rushdie branding it "absurd censorship," while British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the changes by saying works of fiction should be "preserved and not airbrushed," as per Manchester Evening News. It is now revealed that the UK-based group Inclusive Minds, led by Jo Ross-Barrett, made the changes in the books.
READ MORE
Who is Jo Ross-Barrett?
Barett led the team of editors who censored Dahl's books. They have recently departed Inclusive Minds to become a full-time DEI professional. "I’m Jo – a freelance inclusion consultant and editor with several years of experience. I offer support with developing books and interactive narratives for all ages, from picture books to non-fiction, novels, and video games," their bio on Ace Inclusion Consultancy's website reads. They also claim, "My areas of expertise include autism, aromantic- and asexual-spectrum topics, the bi umbrella, children’s books, illustration, interactive narratives, intersectional feminism, mental health, non-binary gender, relationship education, sex, and puberty education." Meanwhile, Barrett has also written, "I joined Inclusive Minds as an Inclusion Ambassador in 2018 and have been working with publishers ever since. I’m now a freelance inclusion consultant, though I still work with Inclusive Minds on occasion," on the website. She has worked with Macmillan Children’s Books, Penguin Random House Children’s, Otter-Barry Books, Raspberry Books, etc.
In their now-deleted LinkedIn profile, Barrett revealed working on a secret project involving the work of a well-known children's author. Their profile read, "Jo is an autistic, non-binary, asexual, polyamorous relationship anarchist. They work with Inclusive Minds to help authors and publishers make their books more authentically representative of marginalized groups. They have provided workshops and talks at A Place at the Table 2020 and the UK Asexuality Conference 2019," as per Daily Mail.
Why were the books revised?
Dahl's admirers claim the team destroyed many of the author's colorful phrases and names. Besides, they also made additions to Dahl's works. They haven't spared even his most famous piece of work, 'James and the Giant Peach', where the Centipede sings, “Aunt Sponge was terrifically fat and tremendously flabby at that,” and “Aunt Spiker was thin as a wire and dry as a bone, only drier.” This was changed to “Aunt Sponge was a nasty old brute and deserved to be squashed by the fruit." In most of the books, 'female' characters are also removed and termed as women. The editors have changed most of the writing to gender-neutral language.
Puffin's response
Puffin released an official statement addressing the accusations. Penguin Random House Children's, the publisher's children's literature wing, said, "At Puffin we have proudly published Roald Dahl's stories for more than 40 years in partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company. 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."
They added, "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 recognize 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, marvelous stories. Roald Dahl once said, 'If my books can help children become readers, then I feel I have accomplished something important.' At Puffin, we'll keep pursuing that ambition for as long as we make books." Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Inclusive Minds stated, “We do think those with lived experience can provide valuable input when it comes to reviewing language that can be damaging and perpetuate harmful stereotypes."
