Australian festival faces mass boycott after dropping Palestinian author

• Dozens of writers and several board members quit the Adelaide Festival after it dropped Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah.
• The move sparked accusations of censorship and renewed debate over free speech and Gaza.

One of Australia’s leading cultural events has been thrown into crisis after the Adelaide Festival disinvited Australian-Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah, triggering a mass boycott by writers, board resignations, and the cancellation of its Writers’ Week.

The festival confirmed that its chair and three board members resigned after the decision to bar Abdel-Fattah from February’s program, citing concerns that it would be “culturally insensitive” to host her following the deadly Bondi Beach shooting in December 2025.

Widespread backlash

Local media reported that around 100 writers withdrew, including former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, British author Zadie Smith, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, and several prominent Australian writers in addition to a major sponsor pulling out.

Abdel-Fattah, an academic who researches Islamophobia and Palestine, described the decision as “a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship,” rejecting any attempt to associate her with the Bondi attack.

Festival organizers said they were navigating an “unprecedented moment” amid intense public pressure, but critics argued the decision undermined freedom of expression. The Australia Institute denounced the move as “ugly politics” and withdrew its sponsorship.

The controversy deepened debate in Australia over free speech, racism, and the impact of the ongoing war on Gaza, as critics accused cultural institutions of silencing Palestinian voices while allowing others critical of Palestinians to remain platformed.

Following the mass withdrawals, the Adelaide Festival announced that its Writers’ Week could no longer go ahead and issued an apology to Abdel-Fattah for the distress caused. The broader festival is now facing uncertainty just weeks before its scheduled opening.