US EditionTop 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'.
101 Articles
101 Articles
Adelaide festival cancellation exposes progressive hypocrisy
Adelaide Writers’ Week has been cancelled following the withdrawal of more than 180 authors, with the director and almost the entire board resigning. The move came after the festival disinvited Palestinian-Australian academic Randa Abdel-Fattah, stating that it would not be “culturally sensitive” to keep her on the programme in the wake of the Bondi Beach massacre last month, where Islamic State-affiliated terrorists killed 15 people during the …
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Australian writers’ festival collapses — and apologizes — after boycott over disinvited Palestinian activist
The organizers of an Australian literary festival pulled the plug on this year’s event on Tuesday, after nearly 200 authors said they would boycott over the disinvitation of a Palestinian-Australian author and activist who has justified “armed struggle.” The board of the Adelaide Writers’ Week announced last week that they had disinvited Randa Abdel-Fattah, saying they felt her presence “would not be culturally sensitive” in the wake of the Bond…
Adelaide Writers’ Week: In Australia, there are growing concerns about the widespread curtailment of freedom of expression in the aftermath of the Bondi bombing…
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…
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