Adelaide Writers’ Week was set to take place from 28 February to 5 March 2026, featuring some of the biggest names in the Australian literary scene. The director of the event, Louise Adler AM, stated on the website that creating a theme which “captures the zeitgeist and represents a hugely diverse range of writers, subject matter and genres is an imprecise science”. But what does diversity really mean if it must fit within the rigidly formed constraints that these institutions allow for?
Dr Abdel-Fattah is a long-standing advocate for the Palestinian cause and has faced repeated villainisation from the media and institutions as a result. In 2022, she was awarded funding by the Australian Research Council to explore Arab and Muslim-Australian social movements, before she was scrutinised due to her political views. Following accusations from the Coalition and various media outlets that her grant was being misused and a call to have her research investigated, education minister Jason Clare asked the ARC to pursue such investigation.
The primary basis of this included statements made at an Anti- Racism Symposium at the Queensland University of Technology that she “bent the rules” of the grant by holding an informal workshop aimed at women from multicultural backgrounds as opposed to holding a formal academic conference. The 10-month long investigation cleared all allegations against her and ended with the grant being reinstated, allowing her to continue her research. What remained, however, was an unfavourable public perception fuelled by these initial false judgements.
The Festival Board took to their website to publish a statement advising that Dr Abdel-Fattah had been notified her attendance at the festival would not be proceeding. This declaration was immediately followed with three paragraphs about the horrific terror attacks that occurred in Bondi in December 2025. Despite the board stating, “We do not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi”, the structuring and word choice within their statement clearly implies otherwise. There is a blatant insinuation that spotlighting Palestinian voices is a danger and is insensitive, a stance they reaffirm by stating, “We have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi”. They go on to allege that her removal along with their decision to establish a sub-committee to oversee future board decisions provides “the best opportunity for the success and support” of the Adelaide festival and writers week. They were gravely mistaken.
The response from various prominent writers scheduled to attend followed a call to boycott the festival. Poet and co-editor of Overland, Evelyn Araluen showed her solidarity by stating she would no longer be attending, as did over 100 other authors including Yanis Varoufakis, Bernadette Brennan, Amy Remeikis, Clare Wright and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Numerous organisations also extended solidarity including the Loud Jew Collective, who encouraged all writers to boycott the festival. Most notably, Louise Adler recently announced her resignation as director which resulted in the cancellation of the event. Adler wrote in her statement, “We need writers now more than ever, as our media closes up, as our politicians grow daily more cowed by real power, as Australia grows more unjust and unequal” and warned “They are coming for you”.
Not only is the censorship of anyone’s voice extremely terrifying and dangerous, but the censorship here is especially so because it creates the assumption that all Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims are somehow responsible for the tragedy in Bondi and directly associates every single one of us with the actions of two awful individuals. The decision establishes an attempt to enforce shame upon our communities, and encourages others to view our voices as inherently threatening and unable to simply exist in cohesion amongst others.
Once again, Arab and Muslim identities are assigned labels and stereotypes that do not align or represent us for who we really are, but rather for what exclusionary and racist organisations deem us to be. Our voices are silenced, not because they are actually dangerous, but rather because their mere existence threatens the narrative institutions try so hard to push. That we are uneducated, unworthy, and full of hatred and violence. That we contribute nothing positive, take people’s jobs, and take advantage of various systems, when really, we are students, lawyers, doctors, writers and teachers. We are ambitious, dedicated, creative and thoughtful. Regardless of how forcefully institutions try to push otherwise, we will not silently watch attempts to remove us from spaces made possible by our ancestors’ struggles.
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