January 13, 2026 | 08:37 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Organizers canceled the 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week festival on Tuesday, after some 180 international and Australian authors withdrew from the event in protest of the scrapping of an appearance by an Australian-Palestinian author and academic.
The event's director Louise Adler, the Jewish daughter of Holocaust survivors, said she was quitting her role on Tuesday, shortly before the festival was called off altogether.
Organizers apologized to novelist and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah on Tuesday, saying it regretted how its decision was represented, but the author responded saying she rejected the "disingenuous" apology.
What Led to the Boycott and Eventually the Festival’s Halt?
Organizers had announced on January 8 that they would disinvite Abdel-Fattah, because "it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time, so soon after Bondi."
This was a reference to the 15 people killed in December in a shooting targeting a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that a national day of mourning would be held on January 22 to remember those killed.
Abdel-Fattah called her exclusion "a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship."
The event made no connection to Abdel-Fattah and the attack at Bondi Beach, which police believe was perpetrated by a man inspired by the Islamic State militant group, except to say she was being excluded "given her previous statements."
Born in Australia to Palestinian and Egyptian parents, Abdel-Fattah often writes about Islamophobia and had been invited to speak about her novel Discipline. The book follows two Muslims, a journalist and a university student, navigating issues of censorship in Sydney. She has been a critic of the Israeli government and an advocate for Palestinians throughout the two-year war in Gaza, perhaps most starkly in a video shared in October 2024 when she said that Israel "has and never had a right to exist."
String of Writers and Contributors Withdraw
Dozens of participants pulled out of the event in response, eventually including New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, former Greek Finance Minister Janis Varoufakis, Australian author Kathy Lette, Latvian-Australian former journalist Peter Greste and Pulitzer Prize-winning American Percival Everett.
Three board members and director Louise Adler also resigned, with an open letter of protest by Adler published in The Guardian on Tuesday.
"The Adelaide Festival board's decision — despite my strongest opposition — to disinvite the Australian Palestinian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah from Adelaide Writers' Week weakens freedom of speech and is the harbinger of a less free nation, where lobbying and political pressure determine who gets to speak and who doesn't," she wrote.
Adler also said she was disappointed the premier of South Australia state, Peter Malinauskas, had backed the board's decision.
Organizers Apologize but Abdel-Fattah Calls the Gesture ‘Disingenuous'
The Adelaide Festival board apologized to Abdel-Fattah when announcing the February event would not go ahead on Tuesday.
It said it had taken the decision "out of respect for a community experiencing the pain from a devastating event," but that it now saw that it "has created more division."
"We also apologize to Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah for how the decision was represented and reiterate this is not about identity or dissent but rather a continuing rapid shift in the national discourse about the breadth of freedom of expression in our nation following Australia's worst terror attack in our history," it said.
Abdel-Fattah issued a statement online in response saying the apology was "disingenuous" and "adds insult to injury."
"It is clear that the board's extends to how the message of my cancellation was conveyed, not the decision itself," she wrote. "The board again reiterates the link to a terror attack I had nothing to do with, nor did any Palestinian."
Read: Palestinian Writer Dropped from Adelaide Literature Festival
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Palestinian Writer Dropped from Adelaide Literature Festival
1 hari lalu
The Adelaide Festival, Australia's premier literary event, is grappling with a global writer boycott.
Meta Shuts Over 544,000 Australian Accounts After Ban
1 hari lalu
The tech giant removed Facebook, Instagram and Threads accounts to comply with Australia's social media ban for under-16-year-olds.
Australia: State of Disaster Declared Amid Victoria Fires
3 hari lalu
Thousands of firefighters are working to douse several bushfires are still raging in Australia's southeast.
3 Missing in Australia as 'Catastrophic' Bushfires Rage
3 hari lalu
Sparked by intense heat, the bushfires mark southern Australia's most dangerous conditions since the 2019-2020 "Black Summer."
Australia Reopens Steel Export Market to Indonesia
7 hari lalu
The Indonesian Ministry of Trade announced that steel exports to Australia have officially reopened.
Perth Travel Guide: When to Go, How Long to Stay, and What Not to Miss
8 hari lalu
Your essential guide to Perth, featuring the best times to visit, where to wander, and how to enjoy sun-drenched beaches, vibrant markets, and more.
7 Things to Do on New Year's Eve 2026 in Melbourne
13 hari lalu
Melbourne offers unforgettable things to do in the New Year, from rooftop views and river cruises to coastal escapes and family fireworks.
Indonesia's INKA Exports 3 Locomotive Platforms to Australia
13 hari lalu
INKA delivers three unit locomotive platforms to Australia for United Group Limited (UGL).
Fact Check: Misleading Claim Says Australia Demanded Return of Aceh Tsunami Aid
16 hari lalu
Fact check - To date, the Australian government has never asked for the earthquake and tsunami aid to be returned.
Why Perth Is Ideal for Multigenerational Family Holidays
16 hari lalu
Perth in Western Australia offers harmonious family vacation destinations, combining natural beauty with educational attractions.
