Magabala Books is deeply saddened by the news that University of Queensland Press (UQP) will no longer proceed with Jazz Money’s children’s picture book Bila, A River Cycle. Jazz Money, a celebrated Wiradjuri author, described Bila as,

'an illustrated children's book about the interconnections of care, Country and the actions of people with the rivers and stars... an ode to [Wiradjuri] rivers, to care, to persistence, to sovereignty.'

In a time of precarity, writers like Jazz Money hold the skills to carry the truth forward and support us to make meaning of a world in crisis. As artists, writers are also often the most negatively impacted by increasing costs of living. We stand in solidarity with those creators who are standing in their truth and will likely be financially impacted as a result.

The cancelling and pulping of Bila is interconnected with the ongoing silencing and violence towards First Nations people here on this continent and further afar. We understand deeply the impact of racism and discrimination on the wellbeing of the individuals and communities that are forced to carry it.

As Magabala Books has stated previously, over generations, the survival of our communities in the face of ongoing colonial violence is in part due to those who refused to be silenced or erased; those who spoke up despite attempts to deny our existence. Magabala will always advocate for the safety and care of community, Country and storytellers.