Overview
- Peter Malinauskas’s 2 January letter to the Adelaide Festival board said Randa Abdel‑Fattah’s appearance was not in the public interest and warned of division following the Bondi terror attack.
- The premier wrote that his government opposed her inclusion, cautioned the board about hypocrisy and public ridicule, and reserved the right to criticise its decision publicly.
- Abdel‑Fattah’s lawyer, Michael Bradley, called the letter coercive and said it improperly linked her to the Bondi attack, while the premier said the letter speaks for itself.
- The board rescinded Abdel‑Fattah’s invitation on 8 January, prompting a boycott by about 180 writers, the resignation of the chair and most board members, and cancellation of the 2026 event.
- A newly constituted board on 15 January issued an unreserved apology to Abdel‑Fattah and invited her to the 2027 program, as she pursues a defamation concerns notice with no apology or retraction to date.