A children’s book by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been pulled from sale following criticism over its depiction of Indigenous Australians.
Last week, Jamie issued an apology after facing criticism from First Nations communities over his book Billy And The Epic Escape, which was first published in May.
Per The Guardian, the book mostly takes place in the UK, but features a subplot in which a villain teleports to the Australian town of Alice Springs to kidnap a child from a fictional First Nations community called Borolama.
The villain specifically seeks out a First Nations child as they “seem to be more connected with nature”, and distracts her carers with the promise of money for their community projects.
Later in the story, the kidnapped girl tells other characters she can use telepathy to communicate with animals and plants, as well as reading other people’s minds, because “that’s the indigenous way”.
The Guardian reported that Billy And The Epic Escape also misuses First Nations terms in the young girl’s speech.
A representative for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (Natsiec) branded the book’s depiction of indigenous characters “irresponsible and damaging”, accusing it of playing up to harmful stereotypes and “reflecting a profound lack of understanding and respect”.
In a statement, Jamie said: “I am devastated to hear I have caused offence and wholly apologise for doing so. I am listening and reflecting and working closely with my publisher on next steps.”
The following day, publishers Penguin Random House UK confirmed they would be “withdrawing the book from sale”.
“Our mission at Penguin Random House UK is to make books for everyone and with that commitment comes a deep sense of responsibility,” a rep said.
“It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action.”
A subsequent statement shared on Natsiec’s LinkedIn page read: “The publication of Jamie Oliver’s Billy And The Epic Escape is a reminder of the responsibility that people in positions of influence – teachers, writers, publishers, and all content creators – have to ensure that First Nations-related stories are treated with respect.
“The issue was not just the book itself, but the entire process that allowed it to reach bookshelves without any meaningful engagement with First Nations communities.”
“While it is disappointing that First Nations people had to bring attention to these harmful representations about themselves, Natsiec is pleased to read that Oliver seems to be taking actions to make amends,” they concluded.
