Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

Top Australian writers' festival cancelled after Palestinian author barred

Over 180 authors boycotted after the board cited 'cultural sensitivity' following a mass shooting; sponsors and board members also withdrew, leading to the event's cancellation.

  • On Tuesday, organisers cancelled Adelaide Writers' Week after nearly 200 authors and speakers withdrew, and the board said all but one member had resigned as it pulled the event scheduled from February 28 to March 5, 2026.
  • Citing cultural sensitivity after the Bondi massacre, the Adelaide Festival board disinvited Randa Abdel-Fattah, saying her past statements made her presence 'not culturally sensitive' on Jan. 8.
  • Louise Adler resigned as director, saying 'I cannot be party to silencing writers', while roughly 180 of 240 scheduled writers including Zadie Smith and Jacinda Ardern withdrew.
  • Sponsors began withdrawing, compounding the festival's troubles as event sponsors pulled support after Abdel-Fattah's removal, threatening the Adelaide Festival’s millions of dollars in 2025 revenue and hundreds of jobs, with a new board appointment due Wednesday.
  • The dispute plays into a national debate as parliament readies speech-law changes, with Randa Abdel-Fattah rejecting the apology as 'a blatant act of anti-Palestinian racism'.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions

101 Articles

Lean Left

Adelaide Writers’ Week: In Australia, there are growing concerns about the widespread curtailment of freedom of expression in the aftermath of the Bondi bombing…

·Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
Read Full Article
Lean Right

One of Australia's largest literary festivals has been canceled due to controversy surrounding a Palestinian-Australian author who was scheduled to speak. Author Randa Abdel-Fattah had been invited to discuss her new novel at the festival. This sparked controversy within the Jewish community, as she had reportedly made critical remarks about Israel and the war in Gaza in recent years. The Premier of South Australia also spoke out against her par…

·Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 46% of the sources lean Left
46% Left

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

happymag.tv broke the news in on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal