Louise Adler

Louise Adler is the former director of Adelaide Writers’ Week, a prominent literary festival in Australia. She recently resigned from her position following a controversy surrounding the cancellation of Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah's invitation to participate in the event. The Adelaide festival board rescinded Abdel-Fattah's invitation, citing concerns about cultural sensitivity after a mass shooting targeting Jewish Australians. This decision led to a wave of speaker withdrawals (around 180 writers) in protest and board resignations. Adler, in an op-ed, stated she could not be party to silencing writers, leading to her resignation. The festival was eventually canceled. The new Adelaide festival board has since apologized to Abdel-Fattah and invited her to participate in the 2027 writers’ week. The controversy highlights issues of free speech, censorship, and anti-Palestinian racism within the Australian literary scene.