Several writers and organisations have pulled out of Adelaide Writers’ Week after the event’s organisers dropped Palestinian-Australian author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the 2026 program.
Abdel-Fattah, a novelist and academic, had been scheduled to appear at the literary festival to speak about her 2025 book Discipline. But this week the Adelaide Festival Board told her she would no longer be included, saying it would not be “culturally sensitive” to proceed with her session in the wake of the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack late last year. The board said the decision was part of a wider review of the festival’s operations and its role in promoting “community cohesion”.
Her removal was confirmed in a statement from the festival board, which made clear it did not suggest Abdel-Fattah or her work had any connection to the Bondi tragedy. The board’s comments referenced “past statements” by the author and expressed concern about how her presence might be perceived so soon after the attack.
The board has also formed a subcommittee to help guide decisions about Adelaide Writers’ Week programming in the short and longer term, as part of its review process.
The decision has prompted immediate backlash. A number of authors, including Michelle de Kretser, Melissa Lucashenko, Evelyn Araluen, Clare Wright, Chelsea Watego and others swiftly announced they would withdraw from the event in protest.
Several prominent writers described the decision as a betrayal of the festival’s tradition of open exchange and free expression. The Australia Institute also said it would pull its sponsorship in response.
Abdel-Fattah has strongly criticised the move, calling it an act of racial discrimination and censorship. She said the board’s reasoning reduced her to “an object onto which others can project their fear and smears” and argued that she was being excluded not because of her work, but because of her background and past public commentary.
The author’s appearance at Writers’ Week had been organised around discussion of Discipline, a novel set during Ramadan that explores experiences of Muslim-Australian characters. Her profile and photo were removed from the festival’s website shortly after the board’s decision was announced.
A spokesperson for South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said the premier supported the board’s decision.
As of now, the full Adelaide Writers’ Week program has not been released, and it remains unclear whether any further adjustments will be made to the schedule in response to the ongoing dispute.