Adelaide Writers' Week Canceled Over Randa Abdel-Fattah

The 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week, a prominent literary festival in Australia, was canceled following a dramatic implosion triggered by the Adelaide Festival board's decision to disinvite Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah. The board cited 'cultural sensitivity' in the wake of the Bondi attack, despite explicitly stating no connection between Abdel-Fattah and the tragedy. This decision led to widespread backlash, with approximately 180 scheduled writers, including high-profile figures like Jacinda Ardern and Yanis Varoufakis, withdrawing from the event in protest. The Australia Institute also pulled its sponsorship. In response to the growing controversy, half of the Adelaide Festival's eight-member board, including its chair Tracey Whiting, resigned, as did the director of Writers' Week, Louise Adler. The board later issued an apology to Randa Abdel-Fattah, acknowledging that their decision had 'created more division,' but Abdel-Fattah rejected it as 'disingenuous.' The Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas, supported the board's initial decision, further fueling the debate on free speech and anti-Palestinian racism in Australia.