Nearly 50 writers withdraw after Adelaide festival removes Randa Abdel-Fattah

The Adelaide festival unpublished part of its website and faced a mass boycott after the board removed Palestinian Australian academic and author Randa Abdel-Fattah from the writers’ week lineup, saying the decision was made for reasons of "cultural sensitivity" following the Bondi terror attack.

By Friday afternoon 47 participants had withdrawn, organisers said, including writers Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, Sarah Krasnostein, Michelle de Kretser, Drusilla Modjeska, Melissa Lucashenko and poet Evelyn Araluen. Best-selling author Trent Dalton also pulled out of a paid keynote event.

ABC radio presenters David Marr and Jonathan Green confirmed their withdrawal, while the status of other scheduled ABC participants, including Julia Baird, was reported as unknown. Commentators and academics among the withdrawals included Jane Caro, Peter FitzSimons, Hannah Ferguson, Peter Greste, Prof Chelsea Watego, Amy Remeikis and Yanis Varoufakis.

The Australia Institute withdrew its sponsorship and authors Bri Lee and Madeleine Gray said they would not participate unless Abdel-Fattah was reinstated.

Key Topics

Culture, Randa Abdel-fattah, Adelaide Festival, Writers Week, Bondi Terror Attack, Australia Institute