Overview
- Board members Daniela Ritorto, Donny Walford and Nicolas Linke resigned following a crisis meeting, with their names removed from the festival’s website.
- Close to 100 invited writers have withdrawn in protest, including Zadie Smith, Masha Gessen, Percival Everett, Yanis Varoufakis, Helen Garner and Trent Dalton.
- The board said it disinvited Abdel‑Fattah because programming her so soon after the Bondi attack would not be culturally sensitive, but it has not identified the specific past statements it relied on.
- A letter from Marque Lawyers on behalf of Abdel‑Fattah asks the board to specify those statements and to retain emails and messages, noting the material may be required for litigation.
- South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said he was consulted and strongly backed the board’s position but denied directing it, as former festival leaders and participants urged reinstatement and warned of reputational damage.