Daily London
Dozens of writers have pulled out of the Adelaide Writers’ Week after it dropped a Palestinian author, Randa Abdel-Fattah, from the program due to “cultural sensitivities” following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
The Adelaide Festival Board yesterday announced it had cancelled her scheduled appearance at the February 28 to March 5 event in light of promoting social cohesion.
“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,” the board said in a statement.
Abdel-Fattah faced sustained criticism over a previous comment she made, saying Zionists had “no claim or right to cultural safety”.
Dozens of writers have consequently withdrawn from the event in support of Abdel-Fattah, while others called on attendees to boycott it.
“I believe this statement, and the board’s censorship, to be dangerous, inflammatory, and a broad threat to Australian writers and freedom of speech,” Maxine Beneba Clarke, co-author of Eleven Words for Love, said.
“It is a gross act of discrimination and censorship I can in no way agree with, and I will therefore be withdrawing from this year’s Adelaide Writers’ Week unless Dr Abdel-Fattah’s place in the program is reinstated,” Hannah Kent, author of Always Home, Always Homesick, said.
Others who cancelled their appearance at the event include star British author Zadie Smith as well as Percival Everett, Hannah Ferguson, Jane Caro, Amy McQuire, Peter FitzSimons, Vanessa Turnbull Roberts, Karen Wyld and Chelsea Watego.
Adelaide Writers’ Week has today updated its website to say: “In respect of the wishes of the writers who have recently indicated their withdrawal from the Writers’ Week 2026 program we have temporarily unpublished the list of participants and events while we work through changes to the website.”
Abdel-Fattah said the decision to remove her from the program was a “blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship and a despicable attempt to associate me with the Bondi massacre”.
“The board’s reasoning suggests that my mere presence is ‘culturally insensitive’; that I, a Palestinian who had nothing to do with the Bondi atrocity, am somehow a trigger for those in mourning and that I should therefore be persona non grata in cultural circles because my very presence as a Palestinian is threatening and ‘unsafe’.”
The Adelaide Festival Board said it conducted a review of current and planned events over the past few weeks in light of the heightened community tensions and debates following the events at Bondi on December 14.
The board said the decision to remove Abdel-Fattah from the program has “not been taken lightly” and that a sub-committee has been formed to oversee the review and guide decisions.
“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,” the board said.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said he fully supported the board’s decision, as Abdel-Fattah had advocated against the cultural safety of those who believe in Zionism.
”I think in the context of the single worst race-based terrorist attack that we’ve seen in the history of our federation, that matters,” he told ABC.
9news.com.au has contacted Adelaide Writers’ Week for further comment.
