Peter Rhodes on a cook's mistake, harsh punishments and the high-risk profession of writing
It is reported that the average council-tax payer can expect a hike of more than £100 next year. Brace yourselves. Lots of us are about to discover we are not average.
"What's so upsetting about it is, it really was a love letter to the First Nations people.” So says the bruised and contrite Jamie Oliver who penned a children's book featuring an Australian character called Ruby. It was promptly denounced by activists for “negative stereotypes” of indigenous Australians, withdrawn from sale and duly pulped.
The celebrity cook-turned-novelist intended no harm; the episode is a classic case of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. But why should Oliver take all the blame? He is a cook, not a literary figure. The job of spotting libel, racism, sexism and suchlike falls squarely on his editors and publishers.
