Randa Abdel-Fattah

Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian-Australian author and academic. She has recently become the focus of significant 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 led to widespread backlash, with over 180 writers withdrawing from the event in protest, ultimately resulting in the cancellation of the 2026 festival. The festival board has since apologized to Abdel-Fattah, acknowledging her right to speak about Palestinian issues and inviting her to participate in the 2027 event. However, the South Australian premier's involvement in the initial disinvitation has prompted Abdel-Fattah to threaten defamation action. The controversy highlights ongoing debates about freedom of speech, censorship, and anti-Palestinian sentiment within cultural institutions. KPMG has also requested its name be removed from the Sydney Writers’ Festival website after Abdel-Fattah was confirmed as a speaker for the 2026 event.