’s children’s book Billy and the Epic Escape has been pulled from publication after facing criticism for its portrayal of Indigenous Australians.
“I am devastated to have caused offense and apologize wholeheartedly,” the celebrity chef, 49, said in a statement on Monday, November 11, per NBC News. “It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers, we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.”
The book’s publisher, Penguin Random House U.K., apologized in a statement of their own, writing, “It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action.”
According to the BBC, Penguin Random House U.K. said Oliver had requested a consultation with Indigenous Australians about the book, but the request was not completed due to an “editorial oversight.”
First published in May, Billy and the Epic Escape follows the novel’s titular young hero as he and his friends protect the magical Waterfall Woods from an evil threat. The book features a First Nations Indigenous character named Ruby, who is abducted by the villain of the story while living in foster care.
Per the BBC, thousands of Indigenous children were separated from their families by the Australian government during the 20th century as a means of assimilation.
“The implication that First Nations families are easily swayed by money and neglect the safety of their children perpetuates a racist stereotype that has been used to justify child removals for over a century,” the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC) said in a statement on Monday, per NBC News.
The organization also accused the book of perpetuating stereotypes by equating First Nation spirituality and beliefs to magic. “This trivialization is both culturally insensitive and harmful,” the group shared, adding that the novel also emphasized the “harmful stereotype that Indigenous peoples are a homogenous group.”
Ahead of the book’s pull from publication, NATSIEC called Oliver’s novel “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” in a Sunday, November 10, LinkedIn post.
The statement continued: “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.”
Billy and the Epic Escape is a follow-up to Oliver’s April 2023 book, Billy and the Giant Adventure. Oliver has also published several cookbooks over the years and is currently in Australia promoting his latest, titled Simply Jamie.
