A newly revealed letter has cast fresh doubt on the South Australian Premier's account of events surrounding the contentious 2024 Adelaide Writers' Week, directly challenging claims that a Jewish author was removed from the program by the festival's board.
Premier's Claim Contradicted by Documentary Evidence
The controversy erupted when the Premier publicly stated that a Jewish writer had been 'cancelled' from the speaker lineup by the Adelaide Writers' Week board in 2024. This assertion placed the festival's organisers under intense scrutiny amid an existing backlash related to programming decisions.
However, a letter has now come to light which appears to contradict this narrative. The document indicates the writer in question was not, in fact, removed from the program by the board's decision. This revelation, emerging in January 2026, adds a significant new layer to the long-running public debate about the festival's direction and governance.
Former Director Questions Conflation of Issues
Jo Dyer, the former director of Adelaide Writers' Week, has been a vocal figure in the discussion. She has publicly questioned the Premier for what she sees as a conflation of two separate issues.
Dyer pointed out that the Premier's comments merged a complaint regarding a Jewish writer with the separate, high-profile case of author Randa Abdul-Fattah, whose invitation was rescinded. By linking these distinct incidents, Dyer argues, the Premier created a misleading impression of the board's actions and the reasons behind programming changes.
Fallout and Ongoing Repercussions
The emergence of the letter has intensified the political and cultural fallout from the festival's controversies. Key points of contention include:
- The accuracy of public statements made by elected officials about cultural institutions.
- The independence of festival boards from political pressure.
- The ongoing challenges of navigating complex cultural and political dialogues within Australia's literary scene.
This development ensures that the Adelaide Writers' Week backlash remains a live issue, raising critical questions about transparency, accountability, and the intersection of politics and the arts in South Australia. The focus has shifted from the initial complaints to the accuracy of how those events were subsequently characterised by the state's highest office.
