It has been announced that the anticipated memoir by far-right British commentator Milo Yiannopoulos will not be published in Australia.
The news was revealed by the Australian division of publishing house Simon & Schuster, who due to their local publishing program said they in many instances do not publish books from other territories and markets, and in turn would not be stocking or distributing copies of Dangerous.
Yiannopoulos, who is the senior editor for far-right news and opinion website Breitbart News, has caused a lot of controversy in recent years over his anti-Islamic views and stance against immigration. His memoir has been described as a substantive examination of the issues surrounding political correctness and free speech.
Due to be published in the United States later this year on June 13, those in Australia wishing to get their hands on a copy will still be able to do so, only obtainable from the United States via Amazon or a local Australian supplier.
Every bookseller does have the right to decide which books they wish to stock in their shops however, and owner of Pages & Pages and online retailer Boomerang Books, Jon Page was the first Down Under to publicly declare he would not be stocking or promoting Dangerous.
“The election and inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States has seen a resurgence of fascism and right wing rhetoric the likes of which I didn’t think we would ever see again,” Mr Page told Fairfax Media on Thursday.
“I do not agree with Milo Yiannopoulos’ far right views and don’t believe there is any benefit in helping share his views in our society.
“While I am a passionate believer in free speech and would never ban a book, views such as Milo Yiannopoulos’ should not be allowed to take root in our society.”
Despite his personal views, Mr Page did add that customers would be welcome to put a special order in for the book.
Managing director of Readings, Mark Rubbo has taken a difference stance on the matter of stocking the memoir, which he confirmed will be available in store.
“I don’t believe in censorship. So we stock the likes of Andrew Bolt and Keith Windschuttle. We keep Mein Kampf on the shelves,” Mr Rubbo said.
“I think it’s our job to sell books and I think some of our customers – not many, I hope – may be interested in Milo Yiannopoulos’ book. You stock many people you disagree with.”