Shock Writers’ Week call as Palestinian advocate pulled from lineup
The Adelaide Festival board has cut a Palestinian advocate from its 2026 Writers’ Week lineup, claiming it was not “culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi”. One prominent backer of Writers’ Week has immediately withdrawn its support.
Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah has been dropped from the Adelaide Writers’ Week lineup, with the festival board undertaking a “review” of Writers’ Week programming decisions.
Her picture was removed from the Writers Week website on Thursday morning.
“We have today advised scheduled writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah that the board has formed the judgment that we do not wish to proceed with her scheduled appearance at next month’s Writers’ Week,” the Adelaide Festival board announced in a statement released on Thursday.
“Whilst we do not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, given her past statements we have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi.”
Writer’s Week director Louise Adler declined to comment when contacted by InDaily about the decision, while Premier Peter Malinauskas said that he supported the decision and made it clear to the board he “did not support the inclusion of Dr Abdel-Fattah on the Adelaide Writers’ Week program”.
Abdel-Fattah – whose 2025 book Discipline landed her a spot on the lineup – was dropped from the festival amid national controversies over Israel-Palestine relations.
Following the statement, The Australia Institute announced it was withdrawing its support and sponsored events from this year’s literary festival.
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“The Australia Institute has valued being part of discussions at the event, which in the past have promoted bravery, freedom of expression and the exchange of ideas,” the statement read.
“Censoring or cancelling authors is not in the spirit of an open and free exchange of ideas.”
Other writers announced they were withdrawing from the event and Abel-Fattah said the decision was a “blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship and a despicable attempt to associate me with the Bondi massacre”.
The full Writers’ Week program is yet to be released but some events revealed so far included discussions of Gaza and the aftermath of October 7, including one titled “What Do We Mean When We Talk about Antisemitism?”
The decision to drop Abdel-Fattah comes a month after she was cleared of any wrongdoing in a 10-month-long investigation into her research at Macquarie University.
In February 2025, the investigation was triggered by Federal Education Minister Jason Clare, after he requested the Australian Research Council investigate Abdel-Fattah’s spending and potential conflicts of interest in her research.
An $870,000 research grant awarded to Abdel-Fattah in 2022 to research on Arab and Muslim-Australian social movements was suspended in February and then reinstated in December 2025.
The Adelaide Festival statement also said the board was formally reviewing Writers’ Week decisions.
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“The board has also now formally established a sub-committee to oversee the ongoing board-led review, and guide decisions about Adelaide Writers’ Week in the near and longer terms. This includes ongoing engagement with relevant government agencies and the appointment and/or advice of external experts,” the statement said.
“This suite of decisions has been taken with the genuine view that they provide the best opportunity for the success and support of the Adelaide Festival, for Adelaide Writers’ Week and the communities we seek to serve and engage.
“We understand these board decisions will likely be disappointing to many in our community. We also recognise our request to Dr Abdel-Fattah will be labelled and will cause discomfort and pressure to other participants. These decisions have not been taken lightly.
“Our only request is that our community is respectful to our staff and volunteers who have not formed part of our decision-making process and deserve nothing but ongoing support for their excellent work.
“We have communicated our decisions to the state government after having regular discussions post the tragic events at Bondi. The board and senior executive will be communicating with all Adelaide Writers’ Week participants in coming days, along with other key stakeholders.”
It is not the first Writers’ Week to be clouded in controversy over the programming of Palestinian writers.
In 2023, the programming of Palestinian-American writer Susan Abulhawa and Palestinian poet Mohammed El-Kur caused some event backers to pull their sponsorship, Ukrainian writers to cancel their involvement and sparked calls for Adler to resign.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said in 2023 he had considered defunding the high-profile literary festival but chose not to take South Australia down “a path to a future where politicians decide what is culturally appropriate”.
Abulhawa still spoke to a packed audience at the 2023 Writers Week panel with no protests at the event.
Malinauskas said the Adelaide Festival Board engaged with the State Government on this issue.
“By law, I as Premier am prevented from directing the board. I support the intent of this legislation, and have made it clear at every juncture that I would not seek to direct the board,” he said.
“However, when asked for my opinion I was happy to make it clear that the state government did not support the inclusion of Dr Abdel-Fattah on the Adelaide Writers’ Week program.
“I do not support the inclusion of those who actively undermine the cultural safety of others, who celebrate the death of innocent civilians, or those who doxx other artists simply because of their faith or cultural background.
“I note the Adelaide Festival also made its own decision to remove a Jewish writer from the Adelaide Writers’ Week program in 2024 in very similar circumstances. I support that decision, and the consistent application of this principle.”
