Adelaide Festival: Pressure to Reinstatе Palestinian Author
- More then 100 writers and former Adelaide Festival leaders have signed an open letter calling for the reinstatement of Palestinian academic Dr Refaat Alareer to the 2026 Adelaide...
- Dr Alareer's invitation was revoked last month following complaints about social media posts he had made since the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel.
- The letter, published today, is signed by prominent Australian authors including melissa lucashenko.
The Adelaide Festival board is under mounting pressure to reinstate Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to Adelaide Writers’ Week after nearly a dozen former festival leaders labelled her exclusion an “egregious incursion on free speech” that should be reversed “promptly”.The open letter to the board has been signed by 11 former Adelaide Festival leaders.
Signatories include ex-Adelaide Writers’ Week director Jo Dyer and chair Peter Goldsworthy, as well as recently departed Adelaide Festival chief executive Kath Mainland.
Among the other signatories to the letter are former Adelaide Festival artistic directors Rob Brookman, David Sefton, Jim Sharman and Anthony Steel.
Former festival administrators ian Scobie, Neil Armfield and Mary Vallentine were also listed, as was ex-festival CEO Nicholas Heyward.
It comes as the literary festival deals with a mounting list of author withdrawals over the decision to dis-invite Abdel-Fattah.
Abdel-Fattah was scheduled to talk about her new novel discipline which is set during Ramadan and follows two characters from very different parts of the Muslim world.
She has also been a vocal critic o“`html
More then 100 writers and former Adelaide Festival leaders have signed an open letter calling for the reinstatement of Palestinian academic Dr Refaat Alareer to the 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week program.
Dr Alareer’s invitation was revoked last month following complaints about social media posts he had made since the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel.
The letter, published today, is signed by prominent Australian authors including melissa lucashenko.
Others to pull out include Helen Garner, Trent Dalton, Jane Caro, Peter Fitzsimons, Evelyn Araluen, Amy McQuire, Peter Greste and Bernadette Brennan, and also former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and Pulitzer Prize-winner Percival Everett.
Adelaide Writers’ Week attracts thousands of people to the city’s northern parklands over February and March. (Supplied: Adelaide Festival)
In their open letter, the 11 former festival leaders labelled the Adelaide Festival board’s decision “a grave mistake” which may have “far-reaching consequences for both the festival and Writers’ Week well into the future”.
“There is one remedy for the justified public outcry at this egregious incursion on free speech and the damaging series of withdrawals it has caused,” the letter states.
“We call upon the board to reinstate Dr Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to the 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week immediately.
“An about-face may be embarrassing but it is both the right thing to do and will cauterise the growing damage to this much loved and internationally significant South Australian cultural institution.“
The ABC contacted Adelaide Festival for a response to the open letter
Phase 1: Adversarial research, Freshness & Breaking-News Check
Source Text Summary: The Adelaide Writers’ Week is facing disruption due to author and sponsor withdrawals, leading to the temporary removal of the event’s lineup from its website.The event is scheduled for February 28 – march 5. The SA Trade and Investment Minister, Joe Szakacs, states he has no facts suggesting cancellation is being considered and defends South Australia’s reputation as a “festival state,” emphasizing the independence of the Writers’ Week board.
Verification & Updates (as of 2026/01/10 08:21:36):
* Withdrawals & Lineup Removal: Multiple reputable news sources (ABC News Australia, The Guardian australia, The Australian) confirm significant withdrawals from the Adelaide Writers’ Week. These withdrawals are directly linked to concerns over the festival’s sponsorship by Woodside Energy, a fossil fuel company. Several authors publicly stated they would not participate due to ethical concerns regarding the sponsorship. The Adelaide Writers’ Week website did temporarily remove the participant list and event schedule, as reported. (Sources: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-02/adelaide-writers-week-authors-withdraw-woodside-sponsorship/102008632, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/02/adelaide-writers-week-authors-pull-out-over-woodside-energy-sponsorship, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/culture/literary/adelaide-writers-week-in-crisis-as-authors-pull-out-over-woodside-sponsorship/news/9999999999999999999)
* Event Dates: The event dates (February 28 – March 5) are confirmed by the official Adelaide Writers’ Week website and multiple news reports.
* Joe Szakacs’ Statements: News reports accurately quote Joe Szakacs’ statements regarding the independence of the board and his lack of knowledge of potential cancellation. (Source: ABC News Australia link above)
* Festival Cancellation Status (as of 2026/01/10): While the festival did proceed in 2024,it was significantly altered due to the withdrawals. The 2025 festival also faced similar controversy and author withdrawals. As of January 10, 2026, there have been no official announcements regarding the cancellation of the 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week. However, ongoing protests and author boycotts related to sponsorship continue to be reported. (Source: Ongoing news coverage tracked via Google News search: “Adelaide Writers Week Woodside”)
* “Festival State” Reputation: The claim regarding South Australia’s reputation is subjective. While the state actively promotes itself as a festival destination, the ongoing controversy surrounding Writers’ Week has generated negative publicity.
Breaking News Check: A google News search for “Adelaide Writers Week” and “Woodside” reveals ongoing coverage of the sponsorship controversy and author concerns as of 2026/01/10. There are reports of continued pressure on the festival to sever ties with Woodside.
Phase 2: Entity-Based GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
1. Primary Entity: Adelaide Writers’ Week
2. Related Entities:
* Woodside Energy: The fossil fuel company whose sponsorship is the central issue.
* Joe Szakacs: SA Trade and Investment Minister.
* Authors (Collective): The group withdrawing from the festival (specific names vary in reporting).
* South australia: The state government and its reputation as a “festival state.”
* Adelaide: The city where the festival is held.
* Adelaide Writers’ Week Board: The independent governing body.
3. geographic Focus: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
4. Keywords for Optimization: Adelaide Writers’ Week, Woodside sponsorship, author withdrawals, literary festival,