Major Australian Literary Festival Canceled Following Mass Author Withdrawals
Organizers of Australia's biggest free literary festival made a dramatic announcement on Tuesday. They canceled the entire Adelaide Writers Week event. This decision came after more than 180 writers and speakers pulled out of the festival program.
Controversy Over Palestinian-Australian Writer's Disinvitation
The controversy started earlier this month. On January 8, the board of the Adelaide Festival revealed they had disinvited Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah from the writers week. They cited her previous statements and cultural sensitivities at this unprecedented time. This reference pointed to the aftermath of an antisemitic mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach.
Board members clarified they did not suggest Abdel-Fattah or her writings had any connection to the tragedy. However, they did not specify which statements by the lawyer and author prompted their decision.
Abdel-Fattah strongly criticized the move as censorship. She argued the announcement implied her mere presence was culturally insensitive.
Widespread Boycott and Leadership Resignations
By Tuesday, most programmed speakers had withdrawn from the festival. High-profile figures like British novelist Zadie Smith and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined the boycott. The festival's director also resigned on Tuesday, objecting to the board's decision.
Louise Adler, a Jewish Australian and former publisher, explained her resignation in the Guardian. She wrote she could not be party to silencing writers. Adler noted that 70% of the event's speakers had withdrawn.
Hours later, the festival posted a statement on Facebook announcing the event would not proceed. All remaining board members would resign. The statement offered an apology to Abdel-Fattah for how the decision was represented.
Board members wanted to reiterate this was not about identity or dissent. They described it as part of a rapid shift in national discourse about freedom of expression following Australia's worst terror attack.
Rejection of Apology and Broader Implications
Abdel-Fattah rejected the apology in a post on X on Tuesday. She called the decision to cancel her appearance a blatant act of anti-Palestinian racism. The writer noted the board apologized for how her removal was presented but not for the decision itself.
The Jewish Community Council for South Australia had lobbied for Abdel-Fattah's exclusion. South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskus also supported the writer's removal.
The removal prompted some sponsors to withdraw their support. The fate of the wider Adelaide Festival remained unclear on Tuesday, though a new board was due for appointment on Wednesday.
Background of the Writer and Festival
Born in Australia to Palestinian and Egyptian parents, Abdel-Fattah often writes about Islamophobia. She had been invited to speak about her novel Discipline. The book follows two Muslims navigating censorship issues in Sydney. Abdel-Fattah has been a critic of the Israeli government and an advocate for Palestinians throughout the two-year war in Gaza.
The Adelaide Writers Week was scheduled to run for six days starting in late February. It formed part of a wider annual culture festival. The 2025 literary event marked the festival's 40th anniversary and typically attracted 160,000 attendees. A festival report said the event generated millions in revenue and created hundreds of jobs.
National Context: Bondi Shooting Aftermath
This episode unfolded amid a fraught national debate in Australia about limits on speech. The debate followed the Bondi shooting in December. A father and son apparently inspired by Islamic State group ideology are accused of the massacre during a Hanukkah event. Fifteen people were shot dead.
The surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, has not entered a plea to dozens of murder, terrorism, and other charges.
In the aftermath, several legal changes have been proposed or enacted covering hate speech, protest, and guns. New South Wales state, where the shooting happened, passed a law in December banning protest gatherings after terrorism declarations. The state is also considering changes that would criminalize certain chants, including some used at pro-Palestinian rallies.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday he would recall federal parliament in January. He plans to vote on measures to tighten Australia's gun controls and lower criminal thresholds for prosecuting hate speech. Albanese also announced a major national inquiry into antisemitism in Australia and the Bondi attack specifically.
The Prime Minister said a national day of mourning for those killed would be held on January 22.
