Responding to ‘If it was the board’s decision, why did all its members resign?’: Boycotting author reflects on Writers’ Week wake

I am greatly disappointed that people are allowing the focus to be on politics rather than the arts.  It appears that politics is more important to these people than appreciating literature, writing and reading, because if that was their true love, they would have used this opportunity to develop some truly moving texts both for and against their point of view. Instead, they joined the ranks of those against free speech.

My opinion, and if you have a reaction to this, ask yourself what is feeding your emotions. – Katrina Stratos

I am a prolific reader of books and have been since I was 10 years old. I read whatever I choose as long as it is well written and captures my imagination. I am now 72 and still reading.

If, as it has been said, a politician influenced the decisions of the board and then the board resigns because of the decision that they themselves made, it doesn’t fit into my concept of a governing body of any organisation.

People attend festivals in order to meet and talk with like-minded individuals and to discuss a wide range of topics. These people come from a wide range of backgrounds and have a diverse understanding of why they are there.

In this case, literature is the binding element, not politics; so when the well-published authors throw a temper tantrum because they disagree with a decision made by the governing body and refuse to participate in an event based on their personal beliefs to the point that the event is cancelled, what then happens to their readers?

People who are literary-minded are usually introverted and intelligent. They may take time, but will eventually figure out that they have been manipulated into believing in something they either don’t or have no interest in. – Allan Swanson

I love your well-stated argument, but ask if you stood up when other authors were sidelined?

The sad thing about this whole episode is that freedom of speech is impacted on all sides, and it kills intelligent debate that can only improve our society. – Angela Ellis

Responding to Writer Abdel-Fattah launches legal action against Premier

Having closely followed this avoidable saga, I believe that all reasonable and egalitarian people would and should fully support and endorse Dr Abdel-Fattah. – Lynda Gardiner

I support without reservation the thoughtful comments of the Premier and am glad to hear and read the supportive comments of the leader of the opposition. The problem originated from the insensitive invitation of the former director of Adelaide Writers’ Week last year, at a time of increasing antisemitism across Australia.

This is less an issue of censorship than of a desire for harmonious relationships in the community during this unsettling period of community relationships. – Geoff Upton

Unfortunately, the board, and politicians and arts bureaucrats are ignorant when they have to discuss the arts.

However traumatic or unsettling the process has been, the inevitable cancellation of Writers’ Week has cleared the air and paved the way for a renewal and regeneration of this important event in our cultural framework. As former SA Arts Minister Diana Laidlaw has pointed out, this, and similar events, do not exist in isolation from the mores of our society.

The performance of Louise Adler and her board in not recognising the risks and dangers in including Dr Abdel Fattah in the program has proved to be unacceptable and destructive. And Adler’s attack on Premier Malinauskas and reference to “Moscow on the Torrens” was unseemly and without basis.

It is also disturbing to reflect on the reasoning and motivation of the alarmingly large group of writers and board directors who were, apparently, supporters of, indifferent to, or, ignorant of, the anti-Zionist and anti-Israel rhetoric from Dr Abdel Fattah. – Warren Jones

Responding to How dropping a Palestinian writer blew up Adelaide Writers’ Week.

Bonne chance, Abdel-Fattah. It seems SA’s premier and his government treat writers and discourse like they treat trees and park lands.

Be gone with this state government that oppresses climate protestors, public opinion and its own narrow-minded actions. – Richard Webb

Responding to Arts leader, newsreader and finance guru take over Adelaide Festival Board 

I am interested to see that a new board for the Adelaide Festival has been announced. Given the haste with which this has occurred, I very much hope these are interim appointments.

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The appointees have board experience, as well as media, management and financial services experience – a mirror image of the previous situation.

What is most noteworthy is that once again, despite all the criticism of the previous board, there is not one artist and not one non-South Australian. This is a provincial and managerialist outfit, hopefully to be disbanded after the 2026 Festival. – David Spiller

Responding to ‘Deeply regrettable’: Adelaide Writers’ Week officially abandoned

Bring Adelaide Writers’ Festival back to the common people.

All very well for the already famous and connected to have their platform to put forward their ideas. On the other side, there are lots of writers, South Australian and Australian, who have written so many worthwhile books, of which I am one. It would be simple to ask so many less well-known writers to talk about their works.

I can’t see it as so difficult for the Adelaide City Council or the SA Government to appoint someone able to pick up the contracts and work done, thus allowing this Writers’ Week to go ahead.

And who knows where this new approach would end? – Michael Dwyer

What a fiasco and terrible tragedy. It’s such a great event. Moral of the story: you don’t have to agree with activist writers, but let them speak. Learnings: respect freedom of speech and don’t let marketers, spin doctors, and air traffic controllers decide which opinions the public can or cannot hear. – Andrew English

As if anyone cares? There are far greater things to do or be concerned about. – Colin Marland 

The day the arts are hijacked by politics is a sad day indeed, and I am not referring to our elected leaders. – Dianne Maguire

A good move. Keep it so. It was clearly taken over by the entitled left. – Robert Warn

I am devastated by what has happened and that we are all being deprived of Adelaide Writers’ Week – a family favourite for many years and for three generations.

It is unbelievable that “uninviting a guest” could happen, let alone because she is Australian/Palestinian. What happened in Bondi had nothing to do with this author or any Palestinian. It makes no sense.

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There are many lessons to be learned from this whole unfortunate incident. I hope WOMAD organisers are watching closely. Would hate to lose that too. – Lyn Howland

Responding Muso’s campaign for Pulp to drop Adelaide Festival as WOMAD backs its artists

WOMADelaide is to be congratulated for standing firm and not capitulating to those who cannot understand the difference between antisemitism and objection to Israel’s inhumane treatment of West Bank and Gaza Palestinians. Ask Louise Adler, daughter of a Holocaust survivor and anti-Zionist. – Richard Pagliaro

Responding to ‘Canary in the coalmine’: Writers’ Week director resigns over free speech

Free speech does not suffer from the inability to use a government-funded festival for activism. Money from the South Australian taxpayers should not be spent on sowing division.

In the wake of the Bondi attacks, the Malinauskas government made the right call to ensure its resources are not used to undermine social cohesion. There is no justification to platform someone with a documented history of advocating against cultural safety for Jews who believe Israel has the right to exist. Enabling such a divisive voice during a royal commission into antisemitism would have thrown more fuel on the flames and would have been both insensitive and irresponsible. – Edwin Roman

This situation has deteriorated with such speed that it should be clear to the board that it was a flawed decision. Obviously, they needed to recognise the delicate situation, both culturally and politically, but move forward with the program.

The hate speech laws are in place to support the Writers’ Festival, so anything that crossed the line could be dealt with. However, I suspect Dr Abdel-Fattah would not have crossed the line. Her content may upset a few people who actually support the Netanyahu government, but that’s because it’s the government, not the people or the faith that are her targets.

It’s much like saying “I hate all Americans” because Trump is (a person objected to). – Bob Sibson

I totally understand and support Louise Adler’s decision. There is no democracy without free speech.

However, Jacinda Ardern’s obfuscated decision is so terrible and hypocritical, after her terrible handling of the Covid situation, declaring her ministry the Ministry of Truth. – Ben Kolly

Consider the irony for a moment. In the name of antisemitism, the premier of South Australia has run out of town, a Jewish woman, who is the daughter of Holocaust survivors. – Raffaele Tardivo 

As things stand, Adelaide Writers’ Week 2026 is headed for oblivion. Is there no solution?

On ABC Radio Adelaide the other morning, Peter Malinauskas seemed to focus particularly on the phrase “cultural safety”. He says that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah is on record stating that Zionists have “no claim or right to cultural safety”.

“Safety” is a powerful word at any time, but particularly so after the massacre of 15 innocent people. Much of the media reaction appears to imply that she was suggesting Zionists have no right to physical safety. Presumably, the festival board was also concerned about that possible interpretation. But was she saying that? No one seems to have asked her exactly what she meant by that phrase.

Safework SA defines it thus:

“Cultural safety is more than just being aware of other cultures and respecting all people. It is about creating a workplace where everyone can examine their own cultural identities and attitudes, and be open-minded and flexible in their attitudes towards people from cultures other than their own. It also requires everyone to understand that their own values or practices are not always or only the best way to solve workplace problems.”

Does this present an opportunity for mediation and clarification, or is the situation hopeless? – Simon Healy

Responding to ‘Not the Premier’s book club’: Malinauskas addresses criticism over resignations 

I am deeply disappointed that Malinauskas continues to take this stand. Writers’ Week is one of our great cultural institutions, and part of its significance derives from the fact that it tackles important social and political issues, which otherwise remain undiscussed in the wide public forum that the festival provides.

Art has always challenged the status quo where it’s not controlled by the state. It’s one of its jobs. I am as appalled as anybody by antisemitism and by the massacres of October 7 and at Bondi.

I am also appalled at the continual devastation of the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli government, both within the West Bank and Gaza.

Criticism of Israeli actions should not be able to be dismissed as antisemitism.

By banning Randa Abdel-Fattah, the Festival board and the premier have given her far more publicity than she would otherwise have had.

They’ve also imperilled the whole of Writers’ Week and weakened the Adelaide Festival as well. – Lyn Leader-Elliott

I am not a Labor voter but support the Premier’s view on Writers’ Week. If so many authors are upset, then cancel the meeting and get the millions of taxpayer dollars back. Sarah Hanson-Young seems to think it is a catastrophe. I think our state is in a better position than she seems to think. Don’t be swayed from your opinion, Premier. – Jan Tragarz

More excellent news. Sorry, but “Dr Sheep Person Podge” on X is not a serious reference. For once, Tom Koutsantonis and Peter Malinauskas are 100 per cent right.

The twisted virtue signalling of our (sometimes anonymous on X) wannabe cultural superiors is being dragged into the light. Somewhat ironically, the withdrawals of the invited attendees have put the spotlight on the festival, and not in a good way for them or the festival. It wouldn’t be a stretch for many to think that they’ve pinned their colours to Abdel Fattah’s anti-colonial mast and that, for some reason, Middle Eastern politics trumps the importance of an Adelaide writing festival.

The contagion has spread, and now the entire Adelaide Festival is eating itself, all thanks to the entry of Middle Eastern politics.

It’s become easier to virtue signal by withdrawing or resigning than actually standing by Australian values and virtues. Perhaps the Adelaide writers’ festival can be seen as a measure of how intellectually crippled, disconnected, and exclusively left-wing our arts community has become. If it is, then good riddance to the Adelaide Writers’ Week.

Speakers who actively seek to undermine or deny the cultural safety and spaces of others are not welcome anywhere, let alone at the Adelaide Writers’ Week. It’s high time we confront them, but clearly our cultural engineers do not want to face the task honestly and objectively.

I stopped attending the Adelaide Writers’ Week years ago because I was tired of being lectured to and insulted. I think it’s great that it’s finally falling apart in its high-minded “contest of left-wing ideas/trashing of right-wing ideas” form. I look forward to the Adelaide Writers’ Week, where Adelaide writers are celebrated. – Michael Genrich

After 67 illustrious years, Adelaide Writers’ Week as we knew it is no more. And the premier tells us its demise has nothing to do with him. I doubt history will treat him kindly for this blow to the state’s reputation on his watch. – Michael Galvin

I’d like to suggest that the premier has some culpability in this matter. Two fundamental mistakes have been made. The first was that the Festival board, which is not subject to direction on artistic matters, asked the premier for an opinion. Why? Assuming the board was moved to act in this way, what would it have done if the premier had said he did not think it was a good idea? If the board were then to change its mind, it would, by having acted on the premier’s wishes, have (illegally?) subjected itself to government influence. If the board were to continue, then there is a question as to why it bothered asking in the first place.

The second mistake was the premier’s. When receiving the request, rather than giving an opinion, he should have reminded the board that it has control over artistic matters and so it would be inappropriate for him to comment. By giving an opinion, the premier was essentially giving the board a “direction”, albeit without the use of a formal instrument. Perhaps this is an area where the legislation could be tightened.

I might add that I find his inappropriate action on this occasion disappointing, as I had the pleasure of listening to him in the Adelaide Town Hall a couple of years ago give a well-articulated argument as to why the government was not going to yield to calls for funding to be withdrawn from Writers’ Week. Frankly, one of the best speeches I have ever heard a politician make. – Robert Fletcher

Responding to Board chair joins resignations over Writers’ Week backlash 

The hypocrisy of the writers who support pro-Palestinian Randa Abdel-Fattah, and have withdrawn from the Adelaide Writers’ Week program, is breathtaking! And pathetic.

Thanks to Premier Peter Malinauskas, who has backed the board’s decision to remove Abdel-Fattah, repeating on Sunday that the decision should be consistent with the board’s decision to remove a Jewish writer from the line-up.

As he said, the Jewish writer Thomas Friedman did not participate in the 2024 Adelaide Writers’ Week program due to “scheduling issues”, a letter revealed after Premier Peter Malinauskas said the Jewish writer was “cancelled”.

I absolutely stand by Malinauskas’s comment on Sunday, standing firm that, though there’s a suggestion that it was a scheduling issue, Friedman’s lack of attendance was still relevant.

And further: “Call it what you like, after the correspondence from Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, they removed the pro-Jewish Israeli speaker. Then fast forward two years, and I think it’s reasonable for the board to apply the same principle.”

And thank you, Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis, for weighing in on social media platform X, responding to a user who questioned why the premier was “lying”. Koutsantonis’s reply saying, “We will see who is saying things that aren’t accurate, especially about rescheduling.” This hits the mark.

Yes, let’s call out the hypocrisy of the cowardly writers’ withdrawal and cheap outrage. – Noris Ioannou

To put it in some context: the Adelaide Festival board played moral god, and didn’t even consult with the writers’ festival staff before issuing its edict.

There is far more to be lost by denying “inappropriate programming” without due cause. We now learn that the pro-Israeli writer opted out of himself rather than face a hostile video audience, where he would have been torched unmercifully by the audience.

Contrast that with the Canberra writers’ festival a couple of years ago, when the fate of Afghanistan was aired.

When lobby interests override inappropriate programming, we all suffer. – David Anderson

Responding to ‘Wickedness thrives in darkness’: Former Adelaide Festival leaders pen scathing letter on Writers’ Week 

Thanks for keeping us up to date on the Adelaide Writers’ Festival. The quiet death of the festival is fantastic news.

I’m a trained writer. I get writing, I love writing, but the Writer’s festival has been alienating writers like me for years. Any intelligent adult will read the program and see the political bias to the left of the spectrum. Further, a robust contest of ideas doesn’t need to antagonise and threaten us with argument over a forever war on the other side of the planet.

How did we get to this point where an Adelaide arts festival has become “ban the Jew” one year and “ban the Palestinian” the next?

It’s about time the Adelaide Writers’ Week was burnt to the ground so we can start over with a truly inclusive festival of ideas, not a festival of progressive politics.

Let’s have a festival that isn’t just based on the fashionable ideas of the left, or those who have hijacked it to further inflame a conflict that has absolutely nothing to do with Adelaide writers.

South Australians pay for this festival, so put on a festival that celebrates them. Not one that lectures them. – Michael Genrich

Like the prominent arts figures here, I am aghast at the decision to ban Randa Abdel-Fattah from Writers’ Week and alarmed at the prospect of a supervisory subcommittee, intended as thought police, one presumes. It’s a catastrophe for what has been a brilliant festival. – Lyn Leader-Elliott

I applaud and respect those writers with the moral integrity to withdraw from the event.

How hateful and disrespectful it is to prevent a Palestinian writer from raising an awkward truth regarding the conflict in Gaza, where thousands of innocent people have been murdered by the Israeli forces.

Israel relies on the false premise that to criticise any of its actions equates with antisemitism.

I can accuse the Vatican of hiding child abuse, and no one claims that I am being anti-Catholic.

Our local Jewish community should not buy into the false premise that to shine a light on the consequences of Israel’s behaviour is anything other than broadening our understanding of the complex and tragic situation. Criticising Israel for its flawed behaviour is in no way related to antisemitism. – Stephen Merrett

I first went to Writers’ Week as a teenager in the ’60s. I went at the direct invitation of the late Judith Wright. Judith actually went, unannounced, to the head of my school. Rather than ask, she informed the head of the school that I would be absent for the week because I would learn more from the writers present than I would at school. Judith was correct. It was the first of quite a number of weeks I attended. Under Judith’s mentorship and guidance, I attended sessions on “characterisation”, “plotting”, “structure” and “resources” to name just a few. I met an enormous variety of authors, some famous and others not so famous.

There were some fiery sessions and open disagreements, but many established writers were willing to help young writers.

It was all exhilarating and terrifying in equal amounts for a teenager. It was also non-stop learning.

That format would not work now, but where are the sessions about the craft of writing? Some of those who speak have not even written the books they have supposedly authored. Too many of the sessions are about current “issues” and politics. The books being talked about are those that are bought or borrowed but remain largely unread.

Readers still want to know about writing. They still want to know the answer to the extraordinary mystery of “where do you get your ideas from?”

We need to return Writers’ Week to writers – and those who read them. – Catriona Gunn

It seems to me that it is the supporters of Israel and the genocide who are bringing overseas wars into Australia. They are asking us to reject Palestinians and take their (Zionist) “side” in this war. People who are oppressed, starved, stopped from access to health, education, freedom of movement, and safety deserve their voices to be heard without censorship. I am very angry that our precious Writers’ Week has been tarnished by this decision. – Taissa Ceric

Very briefly, I believe it is time that hate speech, Jew hatred, is called out, and that at last, it is not an Australian of Jewish faith being cancelled.

I am not Jewish, but have been extremely concerned by the vilification of fellow Australians quietly practising their religious beliefs. – Karen Grob

Responding to Writers’ Week under threat of collapse as list of writers leaving nears 100

Were all of these writers voicing their concerns, withdrawing from the festival back in 2024 when the very same Dr lobbied for the banning of a writer who she thought expressed anti-Palestine views? She was successful in getting that person banned, but is apparently immensely upset when the roles are reversed, and all these other writers have now suddenly found her banning worthy of a general boycott of the festival. Maybe the PM should include this obvious inconsistency in his royal commission that he was always intending to hold. – Greg Atkins