Aboriginal children's book pulled over illustrator's Bondi attack comments

Lead

University of Queensland Press (UQP) has scrapped the publication of a children's picture book by Indigenous poet Jazz Money, citing comments made by the book's illustrator, Matt Chun, that the publisher says violate its policy on anti-Semitism. The decision has prompted several prominent Australian authors to sever ties with the publisher and sparked allegations of political censorship.

Thousands of copies of the unreleased book, titled "Bila: A River Cycle," had already been printed, and the university says it is considering "recycling options" for them.

Coverage Comparison

Coverage of the decision has been consistent across major outlets, with ABC Australia, BBC, and The Guardian all reporting the core facts: UQP's cancellation, Chun's comments about the Bondi beach shooting, and the subsequent author backlash. All three outlets highlight the authors' decision to cut ties with UQP, though ABC places greater emphasis on the authors' criticisms, while BBC and The Guardian note the allegations of censorship and include reactions from the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, which welcomed the move.

Key Claims

• UQP scrapped publication of "Bila: A River Cycle" over comments by illustrator Matt Chun deemed anti-Semitic, according to multiple sources including the BBC and The Guardian.
• All 5,000 printed copies are set to be pulped, as reported by ABC Australia.
• Authors including Evelyn Araluen, Randa Abdel-Fattah, and Melissa Lucashenko have cut ties with UQP, according to all three outlets.
• New South Wales police are investigating a post by Chun, as reported by BBC and The Guardian.

Perspectives

The decision has drawn sharply contrasting reactions within the Australian literary community. On one side, authors and critics accuse UQP of censorship and of erasing Indigenous voices over political considerations. In a statement posted to Instagram, Evelyn Araluen, a Stella Prize winner, called the decision "shameful and abhorrent" and said she would terminate all future projects with the publisher. Other authors, including Randa Abdel-Fattah and Melissa Lucashenko, have also announced they will no longer work with UQP.

On the other side, the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies welcomed UQP's decision, saying the university had taken a stand against "hate, vitriol and grotesque propaganda," according to The Guardian.

The controversy centers on comments Chun made in a Substack essay published in January, following the Bondi beach attack that killed 15 people. In the essay, Chun criticized what he called the "Australian left" and media coverage of the attack, and specifically criticized Chabad and Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was among the victims, for their support of Israel's actions in Palestinian territories.

The University of Queensland said in a statement that Chun's comments were "abhorrent and hateful to the innocent victims of the attack" and that it "cannot overlook or condone them." The university expressed regret for the impact on Money, describing her as a writer "for whom we have enormous respect."

The decision has also stirred wider debates about free expression, censorship, and the responsibilities of publishers, though these have not been the primary focus of the early reporting.