Culture

UQ Press Refuse To Publish Campbell Newman’s Book Because Of That Pesky Time He Ruined Literature

Poetic justice.

by Meg Watson  26 February 2015

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In 2012, before people had the opportunity to develop the broad and deep-seated hatred they feel for him today, a newly-elected Premier Campbell Newman up and scrapped the state’s literary awards.

The event had been a celebration of Queensland’s best and brightest writers and offered more than $200,000 in prize money — an important stimulus to the arts community that had been in place for over a decade. So, naturally, many were outraged.

Legendary Australian writer Anna Funder spoke out against the move stating it was reminiscent of the totalitarian regimes she had often examined in her award-winning books. Playwright Sam Watson noted that the awards had been the only recognition offered for Indigenous writers and warned of the consequences of such a loss.

“If we lose these awards … then our writers, our storytellers, our performers will all slip back into the darkness and they will never come forward again,” he said, blissfully unaware of the giant shit our incoming Prime Minister would soon be taking on the industry anyway.

Now, nearly three years later, Newman has been delivered with the ultimate poetic justice as a staff member from the University of Queensland Press has cited his actions as a reason for knocking back his new attempt to prove he knows more than one word memoir.

“It would be both a ­betrayal to the Queensland literary community and to our own values to publish his memoir,” said publisher Madonna Duffy.

Though the now-retired politician has not yet personally responded to the leaked statement, I imagine he’s spent the day a little like this:

The news broke this morning when the book’s co-author, former LNP MP Gavin King released a screenshot of the email via Twitter.

And, because it’s the most delicious irony that has ever ironed, much of the local literary community were quick to respond with the Twitter equivalent of dancing and throwing confetti in the streets.

Despite all this the University of Queensland — the overarching body which funds the publishing house — have since released a statement that essentially retracts the initial comment. Though they confirm a staff member did send such a message, they clarify that this is not their official position.

“UQP publishes a limited number of works each year and selects works based on a combination of factors, including the content, the quality of writing, the contribution to literature and the prospect they will be commercially viable,” said UQP board chair Professor Joanne Wright.

They instead claim Newman’s memoir was reportedly knocked back due to the fact there were no sample chapters available and thus “none of the requirements for manuscript consideration were met”.

The publisher who sent the initial email has since been contacted for comment but has not yet responded.

Regardless, it probably says a lot that this — a total and utter rejection that highlights the failures of Mr Newman as both a politician and a person who understands the rules of manuscript submission — has been seized by the book’s co-author as a moment to market the thing.

After all, King was the one who approached the media with the controversial statement and he’s since filled his day doing interviews with different outlets stirring up the #hype.

Post by Gavin King.

Outrage has sufficiently caught on with fellow LNP members, but the only tangible result seems to be a reignited discussion about the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards themselves. Newly elected Premier Annastacia Palaszuk has stated her government will be in discussions about reinstating the awards in the next few days.

Fingers crossed that Newman’s memoir Can Do — yes, it’s really called that — will be released in time to cop a nomination.