Amid the furor over the ‘airbrushing’ of Roald Dahl’s novels, Ian Fleming’s James Bond books are also getting a facelift of sorts. Several racial references have been removed from the books following a sensitivity review. The new editions are also expected to contain a disclaimer, stating that Ian Fleming wrote the books at a time “when words and attitudes considered objectionable by modern readers were commonplace”.
According to reports, some of the depictions of black people in the latest editions of the 007 books have been reworked or edited. The N-word or Bond’s words about a criminal being African in Live and Let Die – not uncommon in the original books – have also been removed.
However, some references to other ethnicities – such as Bond’s mocking idea of Oddjob (Goldfinger’s Korean henchman) and some of the words used to describe East Asians – have made it into the updated issue.
According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, references to the “sweet touch of rape” and the “stubborn inability” otherwise known as homosexuality have been left alone. “Blithering women” and “doing men’s work” also find a place of honor in the updated version.
Read also: Why are Roald Dahl’s books being rewritten? UK PM Rishi Sunak, others fume over ‘gobblefunk’ edit
The development comes just days after the editing of Roald Dahl’s books has sparked outrage in the UK and beyond.
“When it comes to our rich and diverse literary heritage, the Prime Minister agrees with the BFG that we should not mince words. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression,” Max Blaine, spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, told reporters at the time.
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