Oliver Twist: Retold Inclusively

Orphans make riveting main characters. We love to get behind an orphan’s nail biting journey as they face seemingly insurmountable horrors in a dark world. Think of Harry Potter, Huckleberry Finn and Mowgli or even Annie’s hard knock life for example. Where did this literary trope that draws at our heart strings so strongly come from? Oliver Twist was one of the first literary orphans in history and was majorly instrumental in catapulting the orphan trope into our collective consciousness.

Oliver Twist’s story is brutal. The Poor Laws system that governed the life of Oliver Twist make Harry Potter’s life under the Dursleys’ staircase look like a cake ride. And I’m not trying to take away from Harry’s struggle, for our time the Dursleys were pretty monstrous. Oliver however was born in a time when orphans were treated savagely and, alas, there was no magic.

Inclusive Books offers the original ‘orphan rises from poverty and finds a loving family’ story in inclusive English.

This inclusive version of Oliver Twist will serve,
•neurodiverse readers,
•English second language speakers,
•younger readers,
•study guide seekers and
•humans who enjoy reading accessible English.

The Inclusive Book’s Oliver Twist had been rewritten
•plot point for plot point,
•the same characters say the same things at the same times,
•the Dickensian jokes are all included and
•the themes have been preserved.

Time to start rooting for the original orphan! Let the nail biting begin!