Adelaide Festival Randa Abdel-Fattah Boycott: 100 Writers Withdraw as Crisis Mounts
Over 100 writers, including Jacinda Ardern and Zadie Smith, boycott the Adelaide Festival after Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah was disinvited. Read more on PRISM.
A premier arts event is on the brink of collapse. More than 100 writers and artists have pulled out of the Adelaide Festival after organizers disinvited Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah. The mass exodus has left the festival's lineup in tatters and sparked a global debate over censorship.
The Controversy Behind the Randa Abdel-Fattah Disinvitation
The festival board confirmed on Monday that four members, including the chairperson, resigned following the decision to bar Abdel-Fattah from Writers Week. The board cited the need for "cultural sensitivity" following the Bondi Beach mass shooting on December 14, 2025, where 15 people were killed at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration. They argued that her presence so soon after the tragedy was inappropriate.
Abdel-Fattah, a Macquarie University academic, slammed the move as "anti-Palestinian racism." She told Al Jazeera that linking her identity and advocacy to a domestic terrorist attack was "despicable." The decision has polarized the Australian community, highlighting deep rifts over the Israel-Palestine conflict and social cohesion.
A Global Boycott: Ardern, Smith, and More Pull Out
The fallout has reached an unprecedented scale for an Australian cultural event. Approximately 100 out of 124 participants have withdrawn. High-profile figures include former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, British author Zadie Smith, and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis. Furthermore, the Australia Institute announced it's withdrawing its sponsorship, calling the festival's stance "pure, ugly politics."
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