WOKE landlubbers have been handed £200,000 of taxpayer booty to “decolonise” works by Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson.
His 19th century adventure famously tells of young Jim Hawkins’ hunt for buried gold with one-legged pirate Long John Silver.
Edinburgh University is looking to ‘decolonise’ works by Treasure Island author Robert Louis StevensonAlamy
Treasure Island’s most famous adaptation was produced by Disney and released in 1950Rex Features
But quango UK Research and Innovation’s website says Scotsman Stevenson’s work “still upholds colonial stereotypes”.
Now Edinburgh University is researching three of his short stories from 1893.
Its project is titled Remediating Stevenson: Decolonising Robert Louis Stevenson’s Pacific Fiction through Graphic Adaptation, Arts Education and Community Engagement.
The funding was unearthed by the TaxPayers’ Alliance this week in an audit of grants covering 2022 to 2023.
It said it found 62 “gratuitous” grants totalling £9million.
Investigations campaign manager Joanna Marchong said: “Bureaucrats who insist on funding this nonsense should be told to walk the plank.”
UKRI said it “invests in a diverse research portfolio”.
The university declined to comment.
Treasure Island inspired numerous movies including Disney’s 1950 version starring Robert Newton.
The original Treasure Island book, published by PuffinAlamy Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
