Revered Australian music author Clinton Walker has issued a response after being slammed for alleged inaccuracies and being culturally insensitive in a new book that details "a graphic history of black women in Australian music".
As NITV News (via SBS) reports, Walker's Deadly Woman Blues has been pulled by publisher NewSouth Books following its release last month after some of the women featured in the book alleged facts published were inaccurate and that Walker did not speak to them at all during the writing process.
Walker is also the creator of the historic Buried Country documentary, and previously served as late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott's biographer.
Four of the women featured in the book, Aunty Marlene Cummins, Deborah Cheetham AO, Lou Bennett from Tiddas and Nardi Simpson, raised their concerns when speaking to NITV News.
Bennett, who claimed the book incorrectly states that the award-winning group were dropped from the Polygram label, said she felt "violated" by the book.
"He refers to us in the past tense… he uses outdated terminology. He stuffed up good and proper," she said.
"It makes me feel violated as an Aboriginal woman. It makes me feel that again my voice has not been heard. It makes me feel angry."
In a statement given to The Music today, Walker issued an apology.
"I have been devastated to learn that my failure to consult with many of the women in my book 'Deadly Women Blues' has caused such distress and anguish to them and to their friends and families," the statement reads.
"The book started life in graphic form and grew into one hundred images across one hundred years. The accompanying text about the women’s life and work contains factual errors and I take responsibility for these."
It concludes, "… withdrawing the book from sale is the right decision. I apologise unreservedly to the women for any hurt I have caused."
Read the full statement below.
NewSouth Books also released its own statement on the matter.
"NewSouth published Clinton Walker’s Deadly Woman Blues: Black Women and Australian Music in February 2018 and a small number of books have sold since then," the statement reads.
We have been made aware that not all the women who appear in the book were consulted about current biographical details and that some entries contain errors of fact. We are deeply sorry for any hurt or distress this has caused the women concerned and apologise to them unreservedly. We will be publishing a list of corrections on the NewSouth Publishing website when confirmed by those parties involved.
It is also appropriate for us to cease selling further copies of the book, which we will do effective 5 March 2018."
I have been devastated to learn that my failure to consult with many of the women in my book 'Deadly Women Blues' has caused such distress and anguish to them and to their friends and families. The book started life in graphic form and grew into one hundred images across one hundred years. The accompanying text about the women’s life and work contains factual errors and I take responsibility for these. My publisher is working with these women to correct these mistakes on their website – these will be uploaded next week. I will be personally approaching some of these women, whose music has meant so much to me over decades, to apologise over the coming weeks. I should have followed protocols and consulted and checked and am now reflecting on my processes as a writer. Given all this, withdrawing the book from sale is the right decision. I apologise unreservedly to the women for any hurt I have caused.
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