Louise Adler

Louise Adler is the former director of Adelaide Writers' Week, a prominent literary festival in Australia. She is currently newsworthy due to the controversy surrounding the cancellation of Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah's invitation to the 2026 festival. The Adelaide Festival board rescinded Abdel-Fattah's invitation, citing cultural sensitivity concerns following a mass shooting targeting Jewish Australians. This decision led to a wave of withdrawals from participating writers, approximately 180 in total, protesting the perceived censorship and anti-Palestinian bias. Adler resigned from her position, stating she could not be party to silencing writers. The festival was ultimately canceled. The new Adelaide Festival board has since apologized to Abdel-Fattah and invited her to the 2027 event. The controversy highlights ongoing debates about freedom of speech, cultural sensitivity, and the representation of Palestinian voices in cultural events.