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Deceptichum@quokk.au

Palestinian Australian author dropped from writers' festival after Bondi (www.abc.net.au)

submitted 2 months ago by Deceptichum@quokk.au to c/australia@quokk.au

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Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah has been dropped from the Adelaide Writers' Week line-up by the Adelaide Festival Board, citing the festival's role in "promoting community cohesion".

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[–] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

No, Adler wasn't involved in this decision:

[Abdel-Fattah] was dropped by the Adelaide Festival Board, chaired by marketing executive Tracey Whiting. The board includes journalist Daniela Ritorto and Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox, but no artists, following the departure of choreographer Stephen Page.

Adelaide Writers' Week is part of Adelaide Festival, but is led by director Louise Adler.

(emphasis added)

Adler has so far been solid - as the article goes on to detail:

In 2023, law firm and major sponsor MinterEllison withdrew its support for Adelaide Festival because of concern about the potential for "racist or anti-Semitic commentary" from two writers scheduled to speak at AWW: Palestinian American novelist and scholar Susan Abulhawa and Palestinian poet Mohammed El-Kurd.

That year, Adler and the festival's then-chief executive Kath Mainland defended the decision to program the authors.

[...]

Adler told ABC Radio Adelaide the writers' festival needed to protect the principle of inviting writers to participate "because we believe their work as writers is important and interesting".

I wouldn't be surprised if Adler resigned over this, actually, but we'll see.

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Fair, I misread that. I'll retract that comment. Will be keen to see of she does resign though.

[–] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Adler has resigned: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/13/i-cannot-be-party-to-silencing-writers-which-is-why-i-am-resigning-as-director-of-adelaide-writers-week-ntwnfb

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Good for her, much respect. hopefully the rest of the writers festival implodes as well.

[–] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

hopefully the rest of the writers festival implodes as well.

Done: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/13/adelaide-writers-week-cancelled-as-board-apologises-to-randa-abdel-fattah-for-how-decision-was-represented-ntwnfb

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 2 points 2 months ago

It's a sad outcome for the writers, but better than it going ahead in that format.

Thanks for the personal updates, much appreciated!