OUP authors told not to write about sausages or pigs in children's books to 'avoid offence'

[riversedge]

I think this is going a bit far.



OUP authors told not to write about sausages or pigs in children's books to 'avoid offence' http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/authors-of-school-books-advised-not-to-write-about-pork-9976620.html …




OUP authors told not to write about sausages or pigs in children's books to 'avoid offence'

Publisher aims to maximise book sales in Muslim countries by catering to local sensibilities and cultural differences
Jon Stone

Wednesday 14 January 2015



http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/authors-of-school-books-advised-not-to-write-about-pork-9976620.html


Authors of UK-published school books have been asked to take other cultures into account when writing in order to allow their texts to be exported to foreign countries.

Suggested guidelines for authors published by Oxford University Press (OUP) include not portraying the consumption of pork or bacon, which is not eaten in the Muslim world.

A spokesperson for Oxford University Press explained that books needed to be applicable to other cultures in order for them to be exported.

“Many of the educational materials we publish in the UK are sold in more than 150 countries, and as such they need to consider a range of cultural differences and sensitivities,” the spokesperson said.....

[Fumesucker]

1. And leave evolution and global climate change out of schoolbooks to export to the USA..

[cali]

2. If they're writing for that market, I get it.

[riversedge]

3. ummm. as I understand it, publishers are

seeking to widely sell their books. So, basically it affects all kid books--not just in certain countries or areas.

....“Many of the educational materials we publish in the UK are sold in more than 150 countries, and as such they need to consider a range of cultural differences and sensitivities,” the spokesperson said.

“Our editorial guidelines are intended to help ensure that the resources that we produce can be disseminated to the widest possible audience.”

[silverweb]

4. "So we can maximize our profits...

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]...instead of being bothered to publish modified editions for other markets."

All hail the almighty profit margin!

[riversedge]

8. You have hit it on the nail. thanks,

[LibertyLover]

5. Does OUP also ask authors to not portray

the eating of beef and beef products so that the books can be sold in countries with Hindu religious populations, like India, without offending them? Or how about the consumption of alcoholic beverages? I guess steak and kidney pie and pint will have to be changed to leek and squash quiche and a Lucozade.

[Jesus Malverde]

6. Three little sheep went to the market.

They said baa baa baa all the way home where they duck taped the windows.

[Nye Bevan]

7. Who would think that the phrase "This Little Piggie Had Roast Beef"

could be offensive in so many different ways?

Seems like political correctness gone mad. Oops, I meant political correctness gone mentally challenged.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. "according to authors, the guidelines are well-known and widely used by educational publishers"

But according to authors, the guidelines are well-known and widely used by educational publishers, encompassing a range of “taboo” subjects in addition to pork, with publishers keen to avoid offending potential markets for their books abroad. There is even an acronym, PARSNIP, to remind authors of topics to be avoided: politics, alcohol, religion, sex, narcotics, isms (communism for example) and pork.

One brief for an author seen by the Guardian warned that the book: “should also work in all areas of the world including more modest markets like the Middle East. For this reason you must be extremely cautious about cultural taboos such as young men and women cohabiting as students, or girls going shopping for shorts, or friends going out drinking.”

“We’re constantly complaining about this. There are lists, and they are long, of things we can’t mention,” said award-winning English language teaching (ELT) author Nicola Prentis. “Things like gay relationships are an absolute no-no – a lot of writers feel why can’t we sometimes have a photo of a couple who happen to be men, without making an issue of it? Other topics we can’t mention are dogs – for a couple of reasons, because it might offend Koreans, or Muslims; cats are OK – horoscopes and gambling.

“Same sex cohabitation is OK but we couldn’t suggest that university students were living in mixed accommodation, or mention sex, religion, drugs and alcohol. ELT is renowned for being bland, because we have to take out so much. All we’re left with is the environment as a topic, or eating in a restaurant – but then you could never have a wine bottle on the table.”

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/14/pigs-textbooks-oup-authors-pork-guidelines

Welcome to international business. Good of the Tory MP to say he wants his government to interfere in commercial decisions, though - that should set a useful precedent. We might be able to force businesses to stop using fossil fuels, for instance.

[Denzil_DC]

13. Thanks for finding that, which makes sense of an opportunistic headline.

I work in publishing. We have to do all sorts of things with an eye to the mighty market, some of which grate. This is what ELT publishing's about. Thankfully, it's not a field I ever have to deal with.

[KamaAina]

10. Um, sausage can be and is often made with beef, turkey or chicken.

[bettyellen]

11. maybe we will finally find out what is in "spotted dick"?

[hughee99]

12. So no Winnie the Pooh (Piglet), Toot and Puddle, Olivia or Charlotte's Web?

Or is it just eating pig products that's the issue?

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. It's school books, not novels

So it's situations in books to learn English from, scenarios to ask maths questions about, and so on.

[el_bryanto]

15. A bigger concern is how Texas distorts American History and Civics for US classrooms. nt