Last week, Penguin Random House withdrew celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s children’s book, Billy and the Epic Escape, after facing criticism for harmful stereotypes of First Nations Australians. The publishing company and author apologised whole-heartedly for the mistake and admitted that a sensitivity reader had not been employed in the book’s editing process.
Billy and the Epic Escape is a sequel to Oliver’s best-selling children’s debut, Billy and the Giant Adventure. A subplot of the book features a First Nations girl living in foster care. She is kidnapped by the book’s villain, who says, “First Nations children seem to be more connected with nature.” The character is apparently from Alice Springs, but uses the language of the Gamilaraay people of New South Wales and Queensland.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation heavily criticised the book’s contribution to the erasure and trivialisation of First Nations experiences. In reaction, Oliver and Penguin Random House decided to withdraw the book from sale.
“It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue,” Jamie Oliver said. “Together with my publishers, we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.”
Penguin Random House did not consult with First Nations organisations for Jamie Oliver book
Penguin Random House admitted no First Nations organisations or individuals were consulted in the editing of the book, an unusual omission that is out of step with examples of industry best practices.
“Our mission is to make books for everyone, and with that commitment comes a deep sense of responsibility,” a publisher spokesman said. “It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action.”
Penguin Random House has not commented on how or if sensitivity readers are regularly employed in its editorial process. Sensitivity readers are a common practice for many publishers and are advised as a key part of the editorial and publishing process for self-published authors.
The Jamie Oliver incident has drawn widespread criticism from the First Nations publishing community. Dr Anita Heiss AM stated, “There is no space in Australian publishing (or elsewhere) for our stories to be told through a colonial lens.”
Oliver’s identity as a white celebrity from the UK who felt entitled to tell stories of a First Nations child’s kidnapping and the publisher’s lack of oversight has triggered a moment of reckoning in the industry as a whole.
Second-hand and limited edition versions of the book are now available on Amazon for over $100.
