Opinion | The Guardian USJan 20
Australians must demand that their cultural custodians uphold freedom of speech | Margaret Simons https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/20/australians-must-demand-that-their-cultural-custodians-uphold-freedom-of-speech #AdelaideFestival #FreedomOfSpeech #Culture
Australians must demand that their cultural custodians uphold freedom of speech

As we have seen after Adelaide writers’ week, defending the right of people to speak, even when we deeply disagree with them, is very, very difficult

The Guardian
AMonkeyInSilkJan 18

My advice to the South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas.

“Don’t cling to a mistake just because you put in a lot of effort making it.”

#freeadvice #auspol #southaustralia #Adelaidefestival #adelaidewritersweek #censorship #FreeSpeech

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/malinauskas-efforts-to-push-adelaide-festival-board-to-drop-abdel-fattah-revealed-in-letter/uszfs1iia?dlb=%5B2026/01/19%5D%20del_newsam_bau_02&did=DM52033&cid=sbsnews:edm:acnewsam:relation:news:na:na

South Australian premier's push for Adelaide Festival to drop Abdel-Fattah revealed in letter

A newly published letter shows how the South Australian premier argued for Randa Abdel-Fattah to be dropped from Adelaide Writers' Week.

SBS News
World news | The GuardianJan 18
SA premier ‘fundamentally opposed’ Randa Abdel-Fattah appearing at Adelaide writers’ week, letter to board shows https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/18/peter-malinauskas-adelaide-writers-week-letter-randa-abdel-fattah-ntwnfb #PeterMalinauskas #AdelaideFestival #Antisemitism #Islamophobia #SouthAustralianPolitics #AustraliaNews #AustralianBooks
SA premier ‘fundamentally opposed’ Randa Abdel-Fattah appearing at Adelaide writers’ week, letter to board shows

Three-page letter acknowledged that while Peter Malinauskas could not direct festival board, he was ‘deeply concerned’ Palestinian Australian author’s invitation not rescinded

The Guardian
TinDrumJan 17

I've had a deep appreciation for Adler as long as I've been aware of her but it's remarkable how strongly she's stepped up and the courage with which she's done so

'According to Berg, Adler and the festival’s top leadership had issued a comply-or-resign ultimatum to the board to force Friedman’s withdrawal, an irony Berg noted was seemingly lost on the authors boycotting the festival'

#adelaideFestival #AdelaideWritersWeek #bookstodon #writers

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/16/call-this-social-cohesion-the-six-day-war-of-words-that-laid-waste-to-the-2026-adelaide-writers-festival-ntwnfb

Call this social cohesion? The six-day war of words that laid waste to the 2026 Adelaide writers’ festival

How a boardroom flare-up sparked an international boycott – and a looming defamation battle

The Guardian
Show threadbignoseJan 17

@oatmeal
> what caused them to reverse the decision?

The organisation imploded when huge numbers of writers cancelled in protest at the #AdelaideWritersFestival rejection of Dr. #RandaAbdelFattah. The festival ended up with no board to represent it, and after that the new board issued the reversal decision.

> Over the weekend, four members of the eight-member board, including the chair, resigned without detailing their reasons. And on Tuesday the director of the Writers' Week - who had invited Abdel-Fattah - stood down too.

> #LouiseAdler, the Jewish daughter of Holocaust survivors, said art had increasingly come under attack since the start of the Israel-Gaza war and that she could not "be party to silencing writers".

> Hours later, the board put out a fresh statement, apologising to Abdel-Fattah for "how the decision was represented" and announcing that the Writers' Week could "no longer go ahead".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgm4jkwz2z8o

#AusPol #AdelaideFestival

Randa Abdel-Fattah: How Adelaide Writers' Week imploded after axeing Palestinian author

Some 180 writers, including former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, have withdrawn from the event.

AMonkeyInSilkJan 17

Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah
Gracious, aware and informed.

#auspol #adelaide #adelaidewritersweek #Adelaidefestival #Censorship #FreeSpeech #Palestine #IsraelTerroristState

SestaJan 16

Da muss man sich natürlich entschuldigen. "Entschuldigung, dass wir dich, liebe Hamas-Fan-Schriftstellerin, ausgeladen haben. Wie konnten wir nur."

Und Pulp sind auch ganz traurig darüber. Kultur-Szene so lost.

#stopantisemitism #australia #adelaidefestival

Australian arts festival apologizes for disinviting Palestinian writer who lauded Oct. 7 | The Times of Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/australian-arts-festival-apologizes-for-disinviting-palestinian-writer-who-lauded-oct-7/

World news | The GuardianJan 15
British indie band Pulp agree to play Adelaide festival after boycott u-turn https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/15/british-indie-band-pulp-agree-to-play-adelaide-festival-after-boycott-u-turn #AdelaideFestival #Pulp #Music #AustraliaNews
British indie band Pulp agree to play Adelaide festival after boycott u-turn

The band pulled out over treatment of Randa Abdel-Fattah but delayed revealing their decision before confirming 27 February gig

The Guardian
World news | The GuardianJan 15
Jewish American columnist Thomas Friedman says he was uninvited from 2024 Adelaide writers’ week over ‘timing’ https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/15/jewish-american-columnist-thomas-friedman-says-he-was-uninvited-from-2024-adelaide-writers-week-ntwnfb #AdelaideFestival #Culture #SouthAustralianPolitics #FreedomOfSpeech #AustraliaNews #Media
Jewish American columnist Thomas Friedman says he was uninvited from 2024 Adelaide writers’ week over ‘timing’

Claim comes after former festival board member Tony Berg accused Louise Adler and Randa Abdel-Fattah of ‘hypocrisy’ in their accusations of repressing freedom of speech

The Guardian
bignoseJan 15

Great result: an unreserved, unqualified, specific apology, and immediate correction.

Speaking out against a colonialist political movement (#Zionism) is not anti-semitic. Groups and institutions that try to equate those, are lying and racist. Refute and dismiss them.

> […] the Adelaide Festival Corporation published a statement announcing that it had decided to exclude Dr #RandaAbdelFattah […] because it would be culturally insensitive to allow her to participate.

> We retract that statement. We have reversed the decision and will reinstate Dr Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to speak at the next Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2027. We apologise to Dr Abdel-Fattah unreservedly for the harm the Adelaide Festival Corporation has caused her.

> Intellectual and artistic freedom is a powerful human right. Our goal is to uphold it, and in this instance Adelaide Festival Corporation fell well short.

https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/news/2025/statement-15-january-2026

#AusPol #AdelaideFestival

Statement - 15 January 2026

Adelaide Festival