Jamie Oliver has withdrawn his children’s book from sale after it was criticised for causing offence to indigenous Australians.
The celebrity chef’s book, Billy And The Epic Escape, is set in England but features an Australian subplot where the story’s villain abducts a First Nations girl near Alice Springs.
An Aboriginal-rights group said the book perpetuated a number of “harmful stereotypes” that it said Australian authorities have historically used to justify removing children from indigenous communities.
Sharon Davis, the chief executive of Australia’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (Natsiec), criticised the book’s alleged implication that Aboriginals “are easily swayed by money and neglect the safety of their children”.
“[It] perpetuates a racist stereotype that has been used to justify child removals for over a century,” Ms Davis said. “This portrayal is not only offensive but also reinforces damaging biases.”
‘I am devastated to have caused offence’
The book incorrectly uses indigenous words, with an Aboriginal character from near Alice Springs using words from the Gamilaraay people of New South Wales and Queensland.
Ms Davis said such errors exposed Oliver’s “complete disregard for the vast differences among First Nations languages, cultures, and practices”, and that the book’s reduction of indigenous religious beliefs to “magic” was “a longstanding stereotype that diminishes our complex and diverse belief systems”.
In a statement, Oliver said: “I am devastated to have caused offence and apologise wholeheartedly.
“It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.”
Penguin Random House said on Sunday the book would be pulled from sale in all countries where it holds rights, including the UK and Australia.
A spokesman for the publisher said: “Our mission at Penguin Random House UK is to make books for everyone and with that commitment comes a deep sense of responsibility.
“It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action.
“With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will be withdrawing the book from sale.”
Oliver released his first children’s book, Billy And The Giant Adventure, last year.
