The Adelaide Writers' Week festival is facing a mass boycott after its board cancelled the scheduled appearance of Palestinian Australian author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah. The board cited concerns over 'cultural sensitivity' in the wake of the recent Bondi terror attack, a move that has sparked outrage across Australia's literary community.
A Wave of Withdrawals in Solidarity
By Friday morning, more than 24 prominent figures had publicly confirmed their withdrawal from the festival lineup in protest. The list includes acclaimed writers such as Miles Franklin Award winner Michelle de Kretser, authors Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, and Sarah Krasnostein, and commentators Jane Caro and Peter FitzSimons.
Other notable names joining the boycott are First Nations academic Professor Chelsea Watego, journalist Peter Greste, ABC presenter Jonathan Green, reporter Amy Remeikis, and Cheek Media co-founder Hannah Ferguson. Authors Bri Lee and Madeleine Gray stated they would only participate if the festival reversed its decision and reinstated Abdel-Fattah.
The Festival's Controversial Decision
The festival board released a statement on Thursday explaining its decision to cancel Abdel-Fattah's participation. It stated that, given her past public statements on Israel and Zionism, it 'would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi'.
The board was careful to note it did not suggest Abdel-Fattah or her work had any connection to the Bondi tragedy. Abdel-Fattah, a Macquarie University academic, has previously faced criticism from some political and Jewish groups for her views, including stating that Zionists had 'no claim or right to cultural safety'.
Reactions and a Withdrawn Sponsorship
The backlash was swift and severe. Author Hannah Kent, who withdrew, called the move a 'gross act of discrimination and censorship'. Amy Remeikis condemned the 'deliberate choice to silence a prominent Palestinian-Australian academic'.
Adding significant financial pressure, the public policy thinktank The Australia Institute withdrew its sponsorship for the 2026 event. The institute stated the festival had historically 'promoted bravery, freedom of expression and the exchange of ideas', values it felt were now compromised.
Abdel-Fattah's Response and a Defence of the Board
Speaking to ABC radio, Randa Abdel-Fattah called the decision 'egregious and unabashed anti-Palestinian' and an 'obscene attempt to associate me with an atrocity'. She demanded an apology, a retraction, and her reinstatement, expressing disbelief that she had to publicly distance herself from the Bondi attack.
In contrast, former NSW Premier Bob Carr announced he would remain a speaker and supported the board. While a critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, Carr said he believed some of Abdel-Fattah's past comments were counterproductive and that the board's decision was not unreasonable given the circumstances.
This incident follows a similar controversy at the 2025 Bendigo Writers' Festival, which also experienced a mass walkout. The Adelaide festival's director, Louise Adler, had previously resisted pressure to disinvite Palestinian writers in 2023, making the current decision a significant reversal.
