Jamie Oliver has apologised and withdrawn a children’s book he wrote after it was criticised for causing offence to First Nation Australians. The TV chef and father-of-five is among a long list of celebrities to have produced their own book for youngsters. It comes after the Australian subplot in Jamie’s 400-page fantasy novel, Billy and the Epic Escape, was criticised for being damaging and disrespectful.
As reported by The Guardian , National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (Natsiec) blasted the book, which tells the story of a First Nations girl living in foster care, for contributing to the ‘erasure, trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences’. In a statement, Jamie, 49, 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.’ A spokesman for publisher Penguin Random House 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.’ Meanwhile, Natsiec’s chief executive, Sharon Davies, has declared that the book de.