Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s attempt to venture into children’s book authorship faced a significant setback when his publisher, Penguin Random House UK, decided to pull all copies of his fantasy novel “Billy and the Epic Escape” for primary school-age children. The book was criticized for its insensitivity towards Aboriginal Australians, particularly those who were part of the “Stolen Generation.” This group of people were forcibly taken from their families and communities to live with white foster families.
Despite being primarily set in England, the book features a storyline where an Indigenous girl from a community near Alice Springs is abducted by the antagonist. Indigenous leaders denounced the book for perpetuating racist stereotypes and trivializing complex and painful histories.
Sharon Davis, the CEO of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Commission (NATSIEC), condemned the book for its damaging and disrespectful portrayal of Indigenous families. She highlighted that the chapter titled “To Steal a Child” implied that First Nations families are easily swayed by money, neglecting the safety of their children, a narrative that has historically been used to justify child removals.
NATSIEC pointed out factual inaccuracies in the book, such as the young girl being from Alice Springs but speaking languages from tribes in New South Wales and Queensland. These errors, along with the problematic portrayal of Indigenous characters, contributed to the erasure, trivialization, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and their experiences.
Jamie Oliver and Random House admitted that they did not consult any Indigenous organization, community, or individual during the writing or publishing of the book. Both parties issued apologies and decided to withdraw the book from sale, acknowledging the need for reflection and learning from the situation.
Established authors in the children’s book industry have criticized the trend of celebrities turning to writing, expressing concerns about the impact on their market.
