Adelaide Writers’ Week 2026 has officially been cancelled, after all of its remaining board members resigned, and more than 180 authors and speakers dropped out in protest after Palestinian-Australian author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah was removed from the program.
In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, Adelaide Writers’ Week, in conjunction with Adelaide Festival, confirmed the cancellation of its event.
The cancellation comes after the festival announced it had removed Dr Abdel-Fattah from its Writers’ Week line-up, citing “cultural sensitivities” in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack and her past comments regarding Israel.
“Whilst we do not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, given her past statements we have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi,” the board shared in a statement announcing it had nixed Dr Abde-Fattah from the 2026 line-up.
In its statement on Tuesday, the board apologised to Dr Abdel-Fattah and confirmed that the remaining five members will step down as of today.
“As a Board we took this action out of respect for a community experiencing the pain from a devastating event. Instead, this decision has created more division and for that we express our sincere apologies,” the board wrote.
“Many authors have since announced they will no longer appear at Adelaide Writers’ Week 2026 and it is the Adelaide Festival’s position that the event can no longer go ahead as scheduled for this year. This is a deeply regrettable outcome.
“We recognise and deeply regret the distress this decision has caused to our audience, artists and writers, donors, corporate partners, the government and our own staff and people.
“We also apologise to Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah for how the decision was represented and reiterate this is not about identity or dissent but rather a continuing rapid shift in the national discourse around the breadth of freedom of expression in our nation following Australia’s worst terror attack in history.”
The board said it’s now focused on “ensuring a successful Adelaide Festival proceeds in a way which safeguards the long and rich cultural legacy of our state but also protects the hardworking staff delivering this important event”.
The cancellation of the festival comes hours after Louise Adler, the director of Adelaide Writers’ Week, confirmed her resignation to The Guardian.
“I cannot be party to silencing writers, so with a heavy heart I am resigning from my role as the director of the AWW,” Adler told the publication.
“Writers and writing matters, even when they are presenting ideas that discomfort and challenge us. We need writers now more than ever, as our media closes up, as our politicians grow daily more cowed by real power, as Australia grows more unjust and unequal.”
Adelaide Writers’ Week 2026 was set to take place from February 28 and was expected to wrap up on March 5.
Image credit: Randa Abdel-Fattah / Adelaide Writers Festival.
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