Adelaide Writers Festival Controversy

[Orphia Nay]

First writer Randa Abdel-Fattah's appearance was cancelled.

Then a number of writers pulled out in protest. Then hundreds more.

Then the Premier doubled down and possibly made things worse.

Then committee members and the chair quit.

The festival appears to be unable to go ahead

Now Abdel-Fattah is threatening to sue the Premier for defamation.

Randa Abdel-Fattah says lawyers have threatened defamation proceedings against SA premier

Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah says her lawyers have threatened defamation proceedings against South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas following his public commentary about her scheduled appearance at Adelaide Writers' Week.

www.abc.net.au

'Moscow on the Torrens': How to lose a writers' week in six days

The removal and subsequent handling of Randa Abdel-Fattah's rescinded invitation to Adelaide Writers' Week led to the event's cancellation, with more than 180 authors pulling out and its own director issuing a pointed and very public resignation. Where does the festival go from here?

www.abc.net.au

 

[Norman Alexander]

Spiral downwards, with everyone accelerating the process.

Perhaps they should all take a step back and breathe a bit.

 

[Orphia Nay]

It appears it basically all hinges on the varying definitions of the word "Zionists".

 

[Dabop]

Good on them all....

I have nothing against the Jewish people or their faith (well no more than any other religion lol) but I DO have a beef with the Israeli government and its actions.... (and their rather deliberate and deceptive practice of calling any criticism of its near on genocidal practices as being religious biased)

In recent times it seems anyone supporting or being Palestinian is accused of being a 'terrorist' or terrorist supporter- when there is just as much blame on the Israeli side (many of their actions are just as bad if not worse...)

Two faced hypocrisy.....

 

[arthwollipot]

First writer Randa Abdel-Fattah's appearance was cancelled.

What did she say or do? Paraphrase if you have to.

ETA never mind, I found it.

'Moscow on the Torrens': How to lose a writers' week in six days

The removal and subsequent handling of Randa Abdel-Fattah's rescinded invitation to Adelaide Writers' Week led to the event's cancellation, with more than 180 authors pulling out and its own director issuing a pointed and very public resignation. Where does the festival go from here?

www.abc.net.au

 

[Orphia Nay]

To save others a click:

"Abdel-Fattah confirmed to ABC News that she had said Zionists "have no claim or right to cultural safety" and in 2024 had posted on social media platform X, "The goal is decolonisation and the end of this murderous Zionist colony", claiming in an accompanying video that Israel's existence depended on violence against Palestinians.

"In a statement in response to questions from ABC News about that comment, she said her "post made clear that I oppose the espousing of Zionist ideology [but] NEVER the unsafety of Jews"."

 

[Orphia Nay]

This article has some more info on what the Premier did and didn't say, and some backgound on the 2024 event when Thomas Friedman didn't attend.

Adelaide Festival board members, chair quit after author's cancellation from Writers' Week

The Adelaide Festival board's decision to cancel the appearance of Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from this year's Adelaide Writers' Week has prompted further fallout, with several board members and the chair stepping down.

www.abc.net.au

Though it doesn't go into what the Premier said when he was crying about this in public. Not sure what day that happened. It's been quite a week for the Adelaide Writer's Week.