Roald Dahl Museum says author’s racism was ‘undeniable’

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Best-selling children’s author Roald Dahl was well known for his anti-Semitic sentiments.

CNN

The Roald Dahl Museum in England, founded by the children’s author’s widow, has acknowledged that his racism was undeniable and indelible.

Dahl, who died in 1990, was the creator of characters such as Matilda, the BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Willy Wonka and the Twits. His books have sold over 300 million copies and been translated into 63 languages, while there have been numerous adaptations of his work for the big and small screen.

However, the author has long been considered controversial for his openly anti-Semitic views.

Now the museum, based in the village of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire where Dahl lived, has released a statement on its website to say it fully supports the apology released by the Dahl family and Roald Dahl Story Company in 2020 for the antisemitic views of the authors. The museum adds that it condemns any racism directed against any group or individual.

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Based in Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, where Dahl lived, the museum condemned the author’s racism.

In the 2020 apology, Dahl Groups said they deeply apologize for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by his statements. These damaging remarks are incomprehensible to us, the statement said.

Dahl publicly made a number of anti-Semitic comments throughout his career, including in a 1983 interview with the New Statesman in which he said: There is a trait in the Jewish character that causes animosity, can -Maybe it’s some kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews. I mean, there’s always a reason the anti-everything pops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t go after them for no reason.

The museum said it has worked with several organizations within the Jewish community since 2021, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Community Security Trust and the Antisemitism Policy Trust.

He added that he did not publicly repeat Dahl’s anti-Semitic statements, but kept a record of them in the museum’s collection so that he would not be forgotten.

Roald Dahl’s racism is undeniable and indelible, but what we hope we can endure is the potential of Dahl’s creative legacy to do good, the museum said.

The Roald Dahl Museum confirmed to CNN on Thursday that the online statement released this week is also on display in its entrance gallery.

In a statement sent to CNN, a spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: Mr. Dahl’s stories entertain and delight millions of children and should continue to do so. At the same time, it is important that a museum and a website dedicated to the author present the full story of his life and work, including his darker side.

Separately, in a statement sent to CNN, Marie van der Zyl, chair of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, welcomed museums’ recognition of the authors’ anti-Semitism.

The new statements – in their entry gallery and on their website – are an important starting point in providing the full story of a man whose works are loved by millions. I look forward to working more closely with the museum to explore other ways to raise awareness of this issue and educate about anti-Jewish hatred, she said.

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