Dozens of authors are threatening to boycott the University of Queensland’s publishing house after it severed ties with author and illustrator Matt Chun, pulling printing of a First Nations book.
On Wednesday, the University of Queensland Press (UQP) confirmed to Lamestream podcast it had pulled the upcoming children’s book, Bila: a river cycle by Jazz Money, a poet of Wiradjuri and Irish heritage, and illustrated by Chun.
The publishing house had already paused printing of the upcoming book in January, following a post made by Chun on his online newsletter about the Bondi Beach terror attack, titled: “we don’t mourn fascists”.
In a statement to this masthead, the university said Chun’s statements “do not align with the university’s policies and values or with its adopted definition of antisemitism”.
On Thursday morning, Melbourne-based poet, author and winner of the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Prize Dr Evelyn Araluen announced in an online statement she was terminating her contract with the publisher.
The Bundjalung writer and researcher said she was severing ties because of the university’s “shameful and abhorrent decision to pulp the work of a fellow Aboriginal storyteller without due process, communication, respect, or consideration”.
“I fiercely advocated for UQP’s significant place in the literary ecology of this colony and developed deep and lasting relationships with workers at this publishing house,” Araluen said.
Araluen said she had encouraged other First Nations storytellers to work with the publishing house, and estimated she had helped the university pocket upwards of $750,000 throughout her association.
“I have poured my heart into the works I’ve published with UQP,” she said.
“It is devastating to see that despite the cultural, emotional and intellectual labour given to UQP through its First Nations storytellers, our work can be erased on a political whim.
“It’s clear you don’t deserve our words, so we will use them to speak truthfully to all you’ve done here today.”
Hours later, Money said she was also leaving the publisher, and said the university’s decision outlined connections between UQ and “right-wing press, political lobbying, university capitulation, environmental degradation and the erasure of Indigenous storytelling”.
She said the university and publisher had been “shocking” in their treatment of the author and illustrator duo.
“The gaslighting, silencing, obfuscation and outright lies have shown me what this once-esteemed publishing house really stands for,” she said.
On Thursday afternoon, Chun said he had been cut out of communications about the book at the beginning of March, and accused the university of trying to drive a wedge between him and Money.
He said the book was cancelled on March 30.
Palestinian-Australian writer and academic Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah – whose removal from the Adelaide Writers’ Week last year sparked a boycott that shut down the event – also cut ties with the publisher over the book’s cancellation.
Andel-Fattah said the decision showed “utter contempt” for First Nations artists and writers of colour.
“It’s astonishing that UQP made this decision knowing full well what the consequences and fall out would be,” she said.
By about 1pm Thursday, Lamestream reported more than 30 authors penned an open letter to UQP voicing their solidarity with Money.
Money said she had not expected the level of community support, and thanked the authors including Araluen.
Originally Bila: a river cycle was expected to be released on June 30. The University of Queensland said it had not barred Money.
“We have enormous respect for Jazz and her work, and we would welcome the opportunity to work with Jazz again in the future,” the university’s statement said.
The university said it had not yet destroyed the several thousand copies of the book it had already printed, although it was considering “recycling options”.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
