No ban on mention of pigs or pork products in our titles: OUP

Oxford University Press today said it has not issued any guidelines to its authors asking them to refrain from mentioning pigs or sausages in its schoolbooks.
"OUP does not have a blanket ban on pigs or pork products in its titles, and contrary to reports, there have been no recent changes to our guidelines in this area," the publisher said in a statement.
According to media reports, the publisher's so-called "directive" came to light when BBC radio presenter Jim Naughtie read out a letter purportedly written by it to an author that forbade mention of "pigs plus sausages, or anything else which could be perceived as pork" in their books.

The publisher, whose books and educational materials are sold in nearly 200 countries, said, "Without compromising our commitment to educational excellence in any way encourage some authors of educational materials respectfully to consider cultural differences and sensitivities."
In 2010, Oxford decided to stop the publication of its books containing the essay "Three Hundred Ramayanas" by writer-mathematician A K Ramanujun. The books were part of Delhi University curriculum.
The move received widespread criticism from writers and academicians.