A confidential letter from South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, expressing his government's firm opposition to the inclusion of Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah in a major literary festival, has been published in full.
Premier Cites Public Interest and Social Cohesion
The three-page document, dated 2 January and first revealed by Adelaide's Sunday Mail, outlines the premier's view that inviting Abdel-Fattah to the 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week is not in the public interest. Malinauskas specifically links his position to "the Bondi terror attack", stating the author's appearance contradicts community expectations for unity and healing.
In the letter, the premier references media reports of comments and actions attributed to Abdel-Fattah, which he describes as going "beyond reasonable public debate". He asserts these are "antisemitic and hateful at worst and deeply offensive and insulting at best" and likely to provoke disunity.
Festival Board Intervention and Apology
The controversy stems from an invitation extended to Abdel-Fattah by the festival's then artistic director, Louise Adler. Adler, a respected publisher and a progressive Jewish voice, is the daughter of Holocaust survivors. The festival's board later intervened to overturn the invitation, a move that prompted Adler's public resignation.
Following the backlash, the newly constituted Adelaide Festival board issued an "unreserved" public apology to Abdel-Fattah, which she accepted. The board has also committed to inviting her to participate in the 2027 event.
Legal Threats and Defamation Concerns
The release of the premier's letter comes after Abdel-Fattah threatened defamation action against Malinauskas over his public statements. In a social media post, the author accused the premier of making harmful comments without ever contacting her directly. She strongly objected to the implied link between her views and the Bondi attack, suggesting it painted her as an extremist sympathiser.
While acknowledging the legal independence of the Adelaide Festival and that he cannot issue a ministerial directive on programming, Malinauskas stated his government "fundamentally opposes the inclusion" and reserves the right to comment publicly. He also noted the prior resignation of a board member, Tony Berg, over concerns about the programme in October.
The episode has ignited a fierce debate about artistic freedom, political influence, and social cohesion in Australia's cultural landscape.
