Adelaide Writers’ Festival cancelled and why the Chair resigned
JVL Introduction
Louise Adler, Director of the Adelaide Festival resigned, along with several of her colleagues as Palestinian Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah was “disinvited” from participating in their Writers’ Week. So many other writers (c 180) withdrew from the event in solidarity that it has now been cancelled. They included Zadie Smith, Jacinda Ahearn and Yanis Varoufakis. As so often there has been pressure from politicians. Ms. Abdel Fattah has issued her own statement and is considering defamation action against South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas.
The banning was, supposedly, due to concerns about “cultural sensitivities” if Ms Abdel-Fattah spoke so soon after the dreadful attack on Bondi Beach in December; again conflating support for Palestine with antisemitism and prioritising what is perceived to be necessary so that Jewish people feel comfortable with no consideration of Palestinian people’s comfort. Of course Ms Adler is Jewish herself, the daughter of Holocaust survivors and is on the Advisory Board of the Jewish Council of Australia.
Below the Guardian piece is a detailed report on the event and its cancellation from the BBC. These attacks on Palestinians and all who support the struggle for rights for Palestinians must be resisted but as Ms Abdel-Fattah asked that we “Please remember that the genocide of Palestinians continues and that all of this is a smokescreen. I am not the story. Palestine is.”
LL
This article was originally published by The Guardian on Tue 13 Jan 2026. Read the original here.
Louise Adler resigns as director of Adelaide writers’ week
Writing for Guardian Australia, Adler says she ‘cannot be party to silencing writers’ after Adelaide festival board cancelled Randa Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to appear. We commend her full letter of resignation published in the Guardian Australia
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“Australia’s worst terror attack in history.”
The indigenous people of Australia might see that a bit differently.
Well done Louise Adler, and the 180 writers who pulled out of this event, and showed that freedom of speech is something people have fought and died for to get the truth out there.
In my opinion from here in Britain, this episode seems like Zionism again, or a perceived need to appease Zionism or a craven fear of false criticism for being ‘Antisemitic’ playing out as usual – until others stood up to it and said boo to it.
This illustrates the importance of making a firm, powerful and immediate United stand against anti Palestinian racism.
Solidarity with Randa Abdel Fattah !
This is a prime example of the power of the Zionist Lobby and how they are using it to provoke antisemitism. There must be a concerted effort to divorce the two and literature us one way but I fear it must go down the legal path by first challenging the IHRA definition and pushing for the Jerusalem declaration.
My concern is the upcoming Jewish book week once again is defending the indefensible, and once again there are no voices raised in protest.