Palestinian Author Accepts Adelaide Festival's Apology
Writer says apology vindicates collective fight against racism and censorship, considers 2027 festival invite
- Publish date: since 4 days Reading time: two min read
Palestinian-Australian author and academic Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah has formally accepted an apology from the Adelaide Festival Corporation following last week’s controversial decision to remove her from the 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week programme.
The festival’s board issued a public apology on Thursday evening, retracting its previous justification, that her participation would be “culturally insensitive”, and acknowledging the harm caused by how the situation was handled. The corporation also extended an invitation to Dr Abdel-Fattah to appear at the 2027 Writers’ Week.
In a statement shared on social media, Dr Abdel-Fattah said she accepted the apology as “a vindication of our collective solidarity and mobilisation against anti-Palestinian racism, bullying and censorship.” She described it as an important acknowledgment of the right to speak openly and truthfully about the experiences of Palestinians.
The 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week was cancelled earlier this week after more than 180 authors and speakers withdrew from the event in protest of her exclusion, prompting the departure of several board members and significant criticism from the international literary community.
While Dr Abdel-Fattah has not confirmed whether she will participate in next year’s festival, she indicated she would attend “in a heartbeat” if respected publisher Louise Adler, who resigned in protest over her disinvitation, were to return as director.
The apology and invite come amid broader debate about artistic freedom, censorship and racial equity in cultural institutions, discussions amplified by the backlash and widespread solidarity actions that surrounded this week’s developments.
Dr Abdel-Fattah, known for her novels and non-fiction on identity and multiculturalism, has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights and freedom of expression, and her role in this high-profile dispute has made headlines across Australia and internationally.
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