Tony Berg

Tony Berg is a former board member of the Adelaide Writers' Week festival. He is currently newsworthy due to his involvement in a controversy surrounding the festival's invitation and subsequent uninvitation of New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, and the festival's past treatment of Palestinian Australian academic Randa Abdel-Fattah. Berg accused Louise Adler and Randa Abdel-Fattah of 'hypocrisy' in their accusations of repressing freedom of speech. This accusation occurred after Friedman claimed he was uninvited from the 2024 event. The new Adelaide festival board has since issued a public apology to Abdel-Fattah and invited her to participate in the 2027 writers’ week. Berg's prior role and his criticism have placed him at the center of discussions about freedom of speech, censorship, and anti-Palestinian racism within the context of the Adelaide Writers' Week.