Mastodawn

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Some 180 writers, including former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, have withdrawn from the event.

Bin Chicken 🗑𓅠 Jan 13

Louise Adler resigns as director of Adelaide writers’ week
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/13/louise-adler-resigns-as-director-of-adelaide-writers-week-ntwnfb

Respect for Louise Adler, and admiration for her sense of integrity.

After the Board overruled her and cancelled Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s invitation, she resigned from her position of Director of Adelaide Writers’ Week.

"I cannot be party to silencing writers, so with a heavy heart I am resigning from my role as the director of the AWW."
Speaking as the daughter of Jewish Holocaust survivors, and whose grandfather and extended family were murdered by Nazis, she implores us not to look away from what Israel is doing in Palestine.
"And that it is incumbent upon humanity to look at what is happening in Gaza now and to say, ‘We will not accept this. We will say no, not in our name.’"

#AdelaideFestival #AdelaideWritersWeek #AusPol #LouiseAdler #RandaAbdelFattah

Louise Adler resigns as director of Adelaide writers’ week

Exclusive: Writing for Guardian Australia, Adler says she ‘cannot be party to silencing writers’ after Adelaide festival board cancelled Randa Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to appear

The Guardian

John

Jan 13

Via @cathywilcox

#LouiseAdler has resigned as director of Adelaide Writers' Week after organisers removed #Palestinian #Australian author #RandaAbdelFattah from this year's program.

This follows days of fallout from the decision to drop Abdel-Fattah & about 180 writers, commentators & academics have pulled out, including #JacindaArdern, bestselling author #ZadieSmith, Pulitzer winner #PercivalEverett & one of Australia's most decorated writers, #HelenGarner.

#AdelaideWritersWeek #auspol

Droppie [opensoc]Jan 12

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

excellent essay!

days ago there was some mis-, or at least ambiguous, early reporting that confused me into wrongly fearing LA had stopped being "one of the good guys". happily my faith in her is amply reinforced here.

#LouiseAdler #AWW #racism #bigotry #Bondi #FuckZionism