Chef Jamie Oliver and his Penguin Random House publisher have agreed to withdraw his children’s book from sale after one of its subplots offended Indigenous Australians.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation issued a broadside against the book, “Billy and the Epic Escape,” which was published earlier this year. The group claimed it used tropes and stereotypes about Indigenous Australians about their spirituality and connection to nature.
Oliver is best known for his 1999 book and television show, “The Naked Chef.” He has long been an advocate for healthier children’s food and nutrition. In 2005, he opened a campaign, Feed Me Better, to introduce schoolchildren to healthier foods, which was later backed by the British government.
His new fantasy book featured a subplot about an Indigenous girl living in foster care. The critics claimed it contributed to the “erasure, trivialization and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences.”
Oliver, 49, said in a statement that he was “devastated” to have caused offense and apologized “wholeheartedly.”
“It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue,” he said. “Together with my publishers, we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.”
Penguin Random House issued its own statement on the matter.
“It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action,” the publisher said. “With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will be withdrawing the book from sale.”
“Billy and the Giant Adventure” was Oliver’s first children’s book, following the success of his recipe collection. He said in a social media post upon its release that he had “carefully chosen the font to make sure the text is as clear as possible,” as dyslexic people like himself can find it hard to read.
