One of Australia’s most important literary gatherings has been thrown into turmoil after organisers removed a high-profile Australian-Palestinian author from its programme, triggering mass withdrawals and the eventual cancellation of the festival’s Writers’ Week.
The Adelaide Festival board announced last week that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah had been dropped from its Writers’ Week lineup, citing “sensitivities” following a deadly shooting at a Jewish cultural event in Bondi in December. Fifteen people were killed in that attack, which authorities said was inspired by the Islamic State group.
Although the board said it was not suggesting any link between Abdel-Fattah and the attack, it argued that her past public statements made her appearance “culturally insensitive” in the current climate. Abdel-Fattah strongly rejected the move, describing it as an act of discrimination and censorship against Palestinians.
The decision quickly sparked a wave of protest across the literary world. Within days, dozens of invited writers withdrew from the event in solidarity. By Tuesday, the number had risen to about 180, including international and Australian figures such as former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, British author Zadie Smith, Helen Garner and Kathy Lette.
The controversy also destabilised the festival’s leadership. Four of the eight board members, including the chair, resigned over the weekend, and the director of Writers’ Week stepped down soon after. Faced with mounting pressure, the remaining board issued a new statement apologising to Abdel-Fattah for how the decision was handled and confirmed that Writers’ Week would be cancelled altogether.
Louise Adler, the outgoing director, said she could not support any move that silenced writers. In a public statement, she argued that literature should remain a space for difficult and challenging ideas, especially during times of political and social tension.
Abdel-Fattah had been scheduled to speak about her latest novel, Discipline, a work she describes as a warning about the dangers of silence. She has long been outspoken on Palestinian rights and has previously attracted criticism for statements strongly opposed to Israel and Zionism. Supporters of her removal say some of her past comments were inflammatory, while critics argue that political pressure and fear of controversy drove the decision.
South Australia’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, backed the board’s original move, saying it was unwise to include Abdel-Fattah so soon after the Bondi attack, although he denied exerting direct pressure on organisers. Jewish community leaders also welcomed her removal, arguing it would help maintain harmony at the festival.
Many writers who withdrew said they did not necessarily share Abdel-Fattah’s views but believed her exclusion crossed a line. They warned that cancelling a speaker for political reasons threatened free expression and undermined the role of cultural events as places for open debate.
The fallout has left the Adelaide Festival without a board just weeks before it is due to begin, creating uncertainty around its future and prompting fresh debate in Australia about censorship, cultural pressure and freedom of speech.
Abdel-Fattah has rejected the festival’s apology, saying it addressed only how the decision was presented, not the decision itself. Her legal team has asked organisers to explain which of her statements were used to justify her removal, and she has not ruled out further action.
As the controversy continues, Writers’ Week remains cancelled, and the wider festival is now scrambling to rebuild leadership and restore trust with artists and audiences alike.
About the author
Attenborough’s historic gorilla encounter revisited
The most iconic moment in Sir David Attenborough’s broadcasting career came in 1978, during filming in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, where he had an unexpected close encounter with a family of mountain gorillas. The footage was recorded for the landmark series Life on Earth, and shows Attenborough sitting calmly among playful gorillas in a forest clearing. At one point, a female gorilla studies him closely from just a few feet away, a moment he later described as deeply meaningful and unlike any other interaction he had experienced with wildlife. The original goal of the expedition was scientific: to illustrate how primates use thumbs and fingers to interact with their environment. To achieve this, the crew climbed steep terrain in Rwanda’s volcanic region in search of the then-endangered mountain gorillas. At the time, the species was under severe threat from […]
White House reviews security after DC shooting
The White House is set to conduct an internal review of presidential security procedures following the shooting incident that occurred during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington. According to senior officials, the review will examine how an armed suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was able to get close to restricted areas inside the venue while President Donald Trump and several cabinet members were present. Allen was eventually subdued by security personnel after a brief exchange of gunfire in which a federal agent was injured but is expected to recover. Despite the breach, Trump has expressed confidence in the United States Secret Service, stating that agents acted effectively to neutralise the threat and secure all high-profile individuals at the event. A senior White House official confirmed that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting with security […]
Eight children missing after orphanage attack in Kogi
Eight children remain missing after an armed attack on an orphanage in Kogi State, in north-central Nigeria, authorities have confirmed. According to the state’s information commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, gunmen stormed the unregistered facility on Sunday and abducted 23 children along with the orphanage’s owner. Security forces were able to rescue 15 of the children following what officials described as a rapid and coordinated response. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, security sources indicate the presence of a cell linked to Boko Haram in the area, which has experienced repeated incidents of violence. The commissioner noted that the orphanage was operating without official authorization and was located in a remote area, outside the oversight of relevant authorities. He called on operators of similar institutions to ensure proper registration and coordination with government agencies, particularly given the current security […]
Deadly strikes hit Afghanistan’s Kunar province
Cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated following deadly strikes in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar Province, where at least seven people were killed and dozens injured, according to multiple sources. Among the injured are students and a professor from Kunar University. Taliban authorities reported that around 30 of the wounded were students, while overall casualties reached at least 75 people. Islamabad has denied responsibility for targeting civilian areas, with Pakistan’s information ministry dismissing reports of attacks on the university and nearby residential zones as false. Witnesses described intense bombardments during the incident. A university lecturer said explosions were heard across the campus, while a local journalist reported seeing residents fleeing as the attack unfolded. Afghan officials stated that buildings within the university compound sustained significant damage. There are conflicting accounts regarding the nature of the attack. Taliban […]
Togo : un défilé du 27 avril sous le signe de la sécurité
À Lomé, la Place des Fêtes a servi de cadre au défilé du 27 avril, organisé à l’occasion du 66ᵉ anniversaire de l’indépendance du Togo. Au-delà du caractère cérémoniel, l’événement a mis en lumière l’évolution du pays dans un contexte régional marqué par des défis sécuritaires. La cérémonie a été présidée par Faure Gnassingbé, en sa qualité de chef suprême des armées. Devant lui, des unités des forces armées, de la gendarmerie, de la police ainsi que des corps paramilitaires et civils ont défilé dans un dispositif coordonné, sous les regards d’un public nombreux. Dans un environnement sous-régional marqué par l’instabilité, cette édition du défilé a revêtu une portée particulière. Elle a illustré la capacité des forces de défense à assurer la sécurité nationale et à faire face aux menaces, tout en envoyant un signal de fermeté et de préparation. […]
Le Togo engagé au Tour cycliste du Bénin
Le peloton togolais a pris la route de Cotonou pour participer à la 21ᵉ édition du Tour cycliste international du Bénin, qui se déroule du 27 avril au 3 mai en cinq étapes. La compétition débute par un prologue de 4,80 km, avant le lancement des premières étapes en ligne dès mardi avec un parcours de 126,04 km. Au total, 90 coureurs issus de 14 pays africains — dont le Maroc, l’Algérie, l’Érythrée, le Nigeria, le Ghana, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Burkina Faso, l’Île Maurice, le Bénin et le Togo — ainsi que des équipes de clubs européens, notamment belges et allemands, sont en lice pour le maillot jaune. Le tenant du titre, le Sud-Africain Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg, est absent cette année. Pour l’équipe nationale togolaise, l’objectif est clair : accumuler de l’expérience, évaluer le niveau des coureurs et […]
Related
Attenborough’s historic gorilla encounter revisited
The most iconic moment in Sir David Attenborough’s broadcasting career came in 1978, during filming in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, where he had an unexpected close encounter with a family of mountain gorillas. The footage was recorded for the landmark series Life on Earth, and shows Attenborough sitting calmly among playful gorillas in a forest clearing. At one point, a female gorilla studies him closely from just a few feet away, a moment he later described as deeply meaningful and unlike any other interaction he had experienced with wildlife. The original goal of the expedition was scientific: to illustrate how primates use thumbs and fingers to interact with their environment. To achieve this, the crew climbed steep terrain in Rwanda’s volcanic region in search of the then-endangered mountain gorillas. At the time, the species was under severe threat from […]
White House reviews security after DC shooting
The White House is set to conduct an internal review of presidential security procedures following the shooting incident that occurred during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington. According to senior officials, the review will examine how an armed suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was able to get close to restricted areas inside the venue while President Donald Trump and several cabinet members were present. Allen was eventually subdued by security personnel after a brief exchange of gunfire in which a federal agent was injured but is expected to recover. Despite the breach, Trump has expressed confidence in the United States Secret Service, stating that agents acted effectively to neutralise the threat and secure all high-profile individuals at the event. A senior White House official confirmed that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting with security […]
Eight children missing after orphanage attack in Kogi
Eight children remain missing after an armed attack on an orphanage in Kogi State, in north-central Nigeria, authorities have confirmed. According to the state’s information commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, gunmen stormed the unregistered facility on Sunday and abducted 23 children along with the orphanage’s owner. Security forces were able to rescue 15 of the children following what officials described as a rapid and coordinated response. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, security sources indicate the presence of a cell linked to Boko Haram in the area, which has experienced repeated incidents of violence. The commissioner noted that the orphanage was operating without official authorization and was located in a remote area, outside the oversight of relevant authorities. He called on operators of similar institutions to ensure proper registration and coordination with government agencies, particularly given the current security […]
Deadly strikes hit Afghanistan’s Kunar province
Cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated following deadly strikes in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar Province, where at least seven people were killed and dozens injured, according to multiple sources. Among the injured are students and a professor from Kunar University. Taliban authorities reported that around 30 of the wounded were students, while overall casualties reached at least 75 people. Islamabad has denied responsibility for targeting civilian areas, with Pakistan’s information ministry dismissing reports of attacks on the university and nearby residential zones as false. Witnesses described intense bombardments during the incident. A university lecturer said explosions were heard across the campus, while a local journalist reported seeing residents fleeing as the attack unfolded. Afghan officials stated that buildings within the university compound sustained significant damage. There are conflicting accounts regarding the nature of the attack. Taliban […]
Trump to meet security chiefs over Iran war strategy
United States President Donald Trump is set to hold a high level meeting with his top national security team to review the war with Iran and discuss the next steps.US media report that the talks, scheduled for Monday in Washington, will focus on both military plans and the possibility of reviving stalled negotiations. The meeting comes as hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough have dimmed following the collapse of the latest round of talks in Pakistan.Tensions remain high, with both the US and Iran publicly insisting they are ready for further confrontation if diplomacy fails. Trump has previously signalled that he wants a way out of the costly conflict but has refused to lift the naval blockade that Iran says must end before any final agreement.He has also warned that if no deal is reached quickly, the US could resort to […]
Iran foreign minister blames US for failed talks in Pakistan
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has blamed the United States for the collapse of recent peace talks held in Pakistan.He made the remarks after landing in Russia, where he is expected to brief President Vladimir Putin on the failed negotiations and discuss next steps. Araghchi said the US approach and what he called excessive demands caused the talks to fall short, despite what he described as real progress during the negotiations.According to Iranian state media, he argued that Washington’s position prevented the discussions from reaching their goals. The talks in Pakistan were aimed at easing tensions and preventing a wider conflict, following weeks of rising fears over possible escalation in the region.Iran maintains that it engaged in the process in good faith, but was confronted with shifting expectations and pressure from the US side. In earlier comments, Araghchi had said […]