The Adelaide Festival board thought it was managing risk when it disinvited prominent Palestinian Australian author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from its Writers’ Week lineup in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. Instead, it triggered monumental backlash and a mass exodus that sunk this year’s edition of one of Australia’s biggest cultural festivals.
On January 8, the board announced Abdel-Fattah, a vocal critic of Israel, had been disinvited as an “appropriate response” following the December 14 terror attack at Bondi Beach in which 15 people were killed at a Jewish festival. The board said it did “not suggest in any way” her writings “have any connection with the tragedy” but cited “cultural sensitivity” concerns due to her “past statements”.
Abdel-Fattah slammed the move as “a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship,” saying the board’s reasoning suggested her “mere presence is ‘culturally insensitive’,” as a Palestinian.
Premier Peter Malinauskas was vocal about his support for her removal which he expressed to the board on multiple occasions, though he denied exerting pressure. In the days that followed, he publicly labelled her views “extremist” and compared her criticism to committing a mass terrorist killing. The Jewish Community Council for South Australia also sent a letter lobbying for Abdel-Fattah’s removal.
Within five days, more than 180 writers had boycotted the event in solidarity with Abdel-Fattah including former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Four of the eight board members, including its chairwoman Tracey Whiting, resigned. Director Louise Adler, who had invited Abdel-Fattah, also stood down.
Adler, a Jewish Australian and longtime Palestine supporter, announced her resignation in The Guardian, saying she “cannot be party to silencing writers.” She claimed there had been political pressure to remove Abdel-Fattah and warned Adelaide risked becoming “Moscow on the Torrens.”
Hours later, the board issued an apology to Dr Abdel-Fattah and officially cancelled this year’s event. It later emerged the apology allegedly came after Britpop band Pulp threatened to pull out of the festival’s opening night. While Abdel-Fattah accepted the apology, she’s been outspoken about the harm caused by the board’s decision. She has also issued a defamation notice to Mr Malinauskas.
The implosion of Writers’ Week was like opening Pandora’s Box, exposing concerns the arts sector can no longer ignore. How did the board become so disconnected from their community that they couldn’t see this coming?
When organisations conflate Palestinian identity with terrorism, are they perpetuating colonial narratives they claim to oppose? And when almost 200 writers withdraw from an event that seeks to silence Palestinian voices, what does that tell us about the values being upheld in our cultural institutions?
The board bowed to external pressure and unfairly linked Abdel-Fattah’s criticism of Israel with Bondi simply because she’s Palestinian. By their logic, anyone who criticises Israel or Zionism is equivalent to a terrorist. They knew it wouldn’t go down well. Their initial statement acknowledged that the decision would “likely be disappointing to many in our community” and “cause discomfort.”
But the overwhelming backlash showed the arts community refuses to tolerate silencing marginalised voices. Just six months earlier, Bendigo Writers’ Festival was forced on hiatus after a mass boycott over censorship concerns.
The Adelaide Festival board had every opportunity for reflection yet chose to set fire to an event cherished by so many. Writers’ Week has traditionally been a place for people of all walks of life to share stories, debate ideas and reflect on society without fear of censorship. Now more than ever, we need spaces where people can explore controversial topics, share diverse perspectives and confront the uncomfortable.
Freedom of speech is vital in the arts to challenge systemic inequality, amplify marginalised voices, and hold power to account. Writers’ Week can rise from the ashes but only if it listens to the artists who make the event possible. The question now is whether other festivals are paying attention or will they repeat the same mistake?