Illustrator asked to change 'stereotypical' cultural images

A Swedish illustrator has claimed his publisher threatened to remove his books from sale if he did not change “stereotypical depictions of other cultures” in his books.

Jan Lööf said Bonnier Carlsen had asked him to change images in two of his books, Morfar är sjörövare (Grandpa Is a Pirate) and Ta fast Fabian (Catch Fabian), according to the Guardian. The publisher said it would remove the books - the first features an evil pirate named Omar and the second a man in tribal costume – if he refuses to change the images.

Lööf, who based the picture of the man in tribal costume on a friend, told a newspaper in Sweden he will stop creating children’s books. “I am 76-years-old and cannot be bothered to change. It’s not about the money for me. But I probably won’t do any more picture books for children.”

In a statement, Bonnier Carlsen said it is not yet clear whether the books will be kept in stock.

Literary director Eva Dahlin said: “Our starting point is that our books will have an inclusive perspective and not reproduce prejudices. All classics age. All books are a product of their time … As an adult, perhaps this is not a problem and one manages to place the work in its historical context, but the question is whether we can expect the same of our children.”

Bonnier Carlsen is part of the Bonnier media group, which is also the parent company of Bonnier Publishing Group in the UK.