Such was the case with the republishing of a work by an American Mark Twains the word “removedNegro“(translation of “black”), that editorial planet modify classic”have a little nigger” from Christie Agata (1890-1976) – historically republished in Spanish as “ten little black people”– to “And no one was left alive.”

It Spaniard It is one of the few languages, along with Greek and French, that retains the detective story’s original title. First published in 1939 in Great Britain“Ten little niggas” was released the following year in the United States as “And then nothing” (“And then there’s nothing left”), with the approval of the author, according to the Spanish press.

James Prichardgreat-granddaughter of the mystery queen and company director who has the right to work of his great-grandmother, he indicated in a radio interview that “in the UK the title was changed in the 1980s”, in addition emphasizing that “today we change it all over the world”. It was he who allowed to withdraw the word “black” from the French version of the novel, which in the lingua franca was renamed “Ils étaient dix” (translation of “There are ten”).

The changes that the new edition will have

So that 74 times the word “black” appears in the original French version, in 2022 they disappeared and for example “La isla del negro”, where the plot develops, to “Warrior Island”as in the english version, told Prichard to French radio RTL.

Great-grandson and entrepreneur stated that “Agatha Christie wrote above all to entertain and she would not like the idea of ​​someone being hurt by one of her phrases, I don’t want the title to distract from your work“.

Mask publishing house clarified, in a statement, that “she made these changes at the request of Agatha Christie Limited to align with the English, American, and all other international translations.”

In this way, the famous book “Diez negritos” was renamed in response to Agatha Christie Limited’s need to “stop using hurtful terms”Prichard said.

best-selling crime book in history

Adapted to film and television, “Diez negritos” is a worldwide literary phenomenon, with more than one hundred million copies soldChristie’s “biggest hit” and “the best-selling crime book in history,” he recalls Prichard. In its pages, ten people who had never met each other were invited by an unknown guest to spend a few days on vacation in a mansion located on an island off the coast of England. Each guest has something to hide and a crime to pay for. And that’s where the nightmare started.

Cancellation in progress

This decision was taken at a time of cancellation of works and creators by movements, social activism and human rights.

One of these cases occurred when the American publisher The New Southern Book released a politically correct version of the universal “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” where is the word negro, which is read 219 times in the original manuscript, replaced with the word “slave”nor does it offend the reader.

Both then and now, as cancellations reverberate across schools and social networks, writers, editors and translators are expressing their concern about the decisions they might walk away from. for language and creative and historical fidelity. as I explained Mark Twains in one of his letters, “difference said almost exact and the right word This is really an important matter. It’s like the difference between a firefly and lightning“.