Writers boycott Adelaide festival after Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah’s removal

Canberra: At least 47 participants have withdrawn from Australia’s well-known Adelaide festival protesting against the removal of Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from the lineup of the event, The Guardian reported.

The board organizing the event linked their decision to ‘cultural sensitivity’ concerns stemming from the terror attack at Bondi beach weeks ago.

Following the board’s decision to remove Abdel-Fattah, a page detailing the schedule of the authors, journalists, academics and commentators went ‘unpublished’ on Friday.

‘In respect of the wishes of the writers who have recently indicated their withdrawal from the writers’ week 2026 program, we have temporarily unpublished the list of participants and events while we work through changes to the website,’ the festival post said.

Among the 47 participants who had withdrawn, as more are likely to join them, are Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein, authors Drusilla Modjeska and Melissa Lucashenko, and poet Evelyn Araluen.

Author Trent Dalton who was to deliver the keynote speech at the event, has also withdrawn.

The board claimed that its decision to remove Abdel-Fattah was not to suggest that her writing had any ‘connection’ with Bondi attack but it had to do with her ‘her past statements’.

Some Jewish bodies and media outlets had previously criticized Abdel-Fattah’s comments including one that said Zionists had ‘no claim or right to cultural safety’.

Federal foreign affairs minister Bob Carr who is a vocal critic of Israel’s invasion of Gaza said that some of Abdel-Fattah’s previous statements were ‘counterproductive to the Palestinian cause’.