Randa Abdel-Fattah

Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian-Australian author and academic. She recently became the focal point of a major controversy surrounding the Adelaide Writers' Week festival. Initially invited to participate, she was later disinvited, ostensibly due to concerns about cultural sensitivity following a mass shooting targeting Jewish Australians. This decision sparked widespread backlash, with over 180 writers withdrawing from the festival in protest, ultimately leading to its cancellation in 2026. The festival board has since apologized to Abdel-Fattah for how the decision was represented and invited her to participate in 2027. Abdel-Fattah accepted the apology, viewing it as a victory against anti-Palestinian racism and censorship. She has also threatened defamation action against the South Australian premier. Despite the Adelaide controversy, she is scheduled to appear at the Sydney Writers' Festival in 2026, though KPMG has requested its name be removed from the event's website as a result. The situation highlights ongoing debates about free speech, cultural sensitivity, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the arts and literary community.