A controversial decision by one of Australia’s most established publishing houses to scrap a printed Indigenous children’s book has ignited fierce national debate over free speech, antisemitism, and political censorship, with dozens of prominent authors severing ties in protest.
The canceled work, *Bila, A River Cycle*, was written by award-winning Wiradjuri poet Jazz Money and illustrated by Melbourne-based artist Matt Chun. Thousands of copies of the book had already gone to press before the publisher, University of Queensland Press (UQP), announced it would halt distribution and explore recycling options for the entire print run, currently held in storage.
The cancellation came in response to public comments Chun made in a Substack essay published earlier this year, where he reflected on public and media reactions to the December 2024 Bondi beach shooting. In that attack, two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish festival hosted at the iconic Sydney beach, killing 15 people including prominent Chabad rabbi Eli Schlanger, head of the local Chabad mission which organized the gathering.
In his essay, Chun argued that the Australian political left had rushed to perform public respectability in the wake of the attack to avoid unfounded accusations of antisemitism, and criticized widespread media framing of the incident. He also publicly called out Schlanger and the Chabad organization for their longstanding support of Israeli military actions and illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
In an official statement to the BBC, The University of Queensland, UQP’s parent institution, described Chun’s comments as “abhorrent and hateful to the innocent victims of the attack.” The institution added that it could not overlook or condone the remarks, nor move forward with publication in any way that could be interpreted as institutional endorsement or association with Chun’s views. UQP also expressed regret over the negative impact of the decision on Jazz Money, noting the institution holds deep respect for the award-winning Indigenous author and would welcome the chance to collaborate with her on future projects.
Separately, New South Wales Police confirmed to the BBC that the force’s Engagement and Hate Crime Unit is leading an investigation into Chun’s social media and Substack post.
Chun has pushed back against UQP’s decision, arguing on his public Instagram that the institution has failed to identify which specific passages of his political writing violate its internal policies and values, nor has it pointed to any clause in the existing publishing contract that justifies terminating the agreement. He also revealed that he and Money have been aware of UQP’s cancellation decision for several months, long before it became public.
Money, whose poetry has earned national accolades including the 2025 Kate Challis RAKA Award for Indigenous artists and the Australia Council for the Arts First Nations Emerging Career Award, announced her relationship with UQP is permanently over. In an Instagram post, she warned that the decision to pulp *Bila* sets a dangerous precedent that any book exploring political, urgent or sensitive topics can be targeted for censorship, cancellation and retaliation.
UQP’s move has prompted widespread backlash from Australia’s literary community, with multiple high-profile writers launching a boycott and severing all existing professional ties with the 76-year-old publisher. Award-winning Indigenous poet Evelyn Araluen said she was extremely disappointed by UQP’s handling of the book, and would terminate all remaining contracts she held with the press. Australian-Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah, who made headlines earlier this year when she was disinvited from a major Adelaide literary festival sparking national outcry, said her upcoming upcoming UQP title *Discipline* will be her first and last book with the publisher. Other prominent writers including Melissa Lucashenko and Natalia Figueroa Barroso have also publicly announced they are ending their partnerships with the press.
Founded in 1948 as an academic publishing house, UQP has grown into one of Australia’s leading independent publishers, releasing titles across fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children’s literature.