A letter from South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas to the Adelaide Festival board has revealed he strongly opposed the inclusion of Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah at Writers' Week, days before her appearance was cancelled. The three-page letter, dated January 2, was made public on Sunday by The Sunday Mail and obtained by the ABC.
In the letter addressed to then-board chair Tracey Whiting, Malinauskas argued that Abdel-Fattah's statements on Zionism went beyond reasonable public debate and that her inclusion was not in the public interest. He warned the board would face accusations of hypocrisy and public ridicule if it did not remove her from the 2026 program.
Six days after the letter, the board announced Abdel-Fattah's exclusion, citing cultural sensitivity following the Bondi attack. Malinauskas had previously denied directing the board, saying it sought his opinion. Abdel-Fattah's lawyer labelled the letter coercive, saying it left the board with no choice but to comply.
The premier referenced Abdel-Fattah's comment that Zionists have no claim to cultural safety and her social media change after the October 7, 2023 attacks. He also supported the earlier non-appearance of Jewish American journalist Thomas Friedman at the 2024 event, urging the board to apply the same principle.
