Australia’s largest literary festival cancelled after nearly 200 writers pull out in solidarity with Hamas-justifying academic

Prior to the decision to disinvite Abdel-Fattah from the festival, AWW board member Tony Berg resigned in protest to her inclusion, saying he cannot be part of a festival that included “writers who have a vendetta against Israel and Zionism".

“I am of Jewish heritage and support Zionism in the sense that I support Israel’s right to exist. In all conscience, I cannot remain on the board while these travesties continue and while we are now forced to put up with them for another 18 months. I therefore resign with effect from today," he said.

The retraction of Abdel-Fattah's invitation prompted a mass boycott from festival participants in defence of the academic, with international writers and commentators including bestselling author Zadie Smith, Irish novelist Roisín O’Donnell and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern among the nearly 200 participants dropping out.

The row ultimately led to the resignation of AWW director Louise Adler, who said that she "cannot be party to silencing writers".

The festival’s board issued an apology to Abdel-Fattah, saying: "[We] 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.

“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."

Abdel-Fattah, though, declined to accept the apology, claiming it was “disingenuous” and “added insult to injury”.

“It is clear that the board’s regret extends to how the message of my cancellation was conveyed, not the decision itself,” she said.

“Once again, the board, citing the ‘national discourse’ for an action that specifically targets me, a Palestinian-Australian Muslim woman, is explicitly articulating that I cannot be part of the national discourse, which is insulting and racist in the extreme.

“The board again reiterates the link to a terror attack I had nothing to do with, nor did any Palestinian. The Bondi shooting does not mean I or anyone else has to stop advocating for an end to the illegal occupation and systematic extermination of my people – this is an obscene and absurd demand.”

Ultimately, after 70 per cent of participating writers had withdrawn from the festival, the decision was made to cancel it altogether.

The board said: “Many authors have since announced they will no longer appear at [AWW] 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.”