Image credit: Macquarie University
The Adelaide Festival Corporation has issued a further statement addressing the fallout surrounding Adelaide Writers’ Week, confirming a reversal of its earlier position and outlining how the organisation will move forward.
In a statement released today, the Festival Corporation formally retracted its earlier explanation for excluding Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the 2026 program, acknowledging the harm caused and apologising unreservedly. While Adelaide Writers’ Week will not proceed in 2026, Dr Abdel-Fattah has been invited to speak at the next festival in 2027.
The statement frames the reversal as a recognition of the importance of intellectual and artistic freedom, conceding that the organisation “fell well short” of its stated values in how the decision was handled. It also marks a significant reset following days of public criticism, resignations, and the cancellation of the 2026 Writers’ Week program.
The newly appointed Board, led by Chair Judy Potter, used the statement to apologise to Louise Adler AM, acknowledging both the loss of the 2026 program she curated and her resignation as Director of Adelaide Writers’ Week. The Board confirmed that a previously announced subcommittee intended to oversee Writers’ Week operational decisions has now been rescinded, reaffirming its commitment to curatorial independence.
Despite ongoing calls from the community to reinstate Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2026, the Board has maintained that the event is no longer viable to proceed this year. Instead, the focus has shifted to rebuilding trust and ensuring the long-term future of the festival.
Looking ahead, Festival leadership has sought to reassure South Australians that Adelaide Festival 2026 will go ahead as planned. Chief Executive Julian Hobba confirmed the organisation is now fully focused on delivering the 2026 program under Artistic Director Matt Lutton, with support from the newly appointed Board.
The statement also acknowledged the role of the South Australian Government in appointing a new Board, thanking Peter Malinauskas and Andrea Michaels for acting swiftly to stabilise the organisation.
While the events of the past week have left a deep mark on Adelaide’s literary community, today’s statement signals an attempt to close one chapter and begin another — with a commitment to rebuild, reflect, and ensure Adelaide Writers’ Week returns in future years.
Adelaide Festival Corporation statement (published in full)
Thursday 15 January, 2026
Adelaide Festival Corporation Statement
Adelaide Festival Corporation has today made the following statement regarding Adelaide Writers’ Week 2026:
On 8 January 2026 the Adelaide Festival Corporation published a statement announcing that it had decided to exclude Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from participating as a speaker at Adelaide Writers’ Week this year.
We stated that this was because it would be culturally insensitive to allow her to participate.
We retract that statement. We have reversed the decision and will reinstate Dr Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to speak at the next Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2027. We apologise to Dr Abdel-Fattah unreservedly for the harm the Adelaide Festival Corporation has caused her.
Intellectual and artistic freedom is a powerful human right. Our goal is to uphold it, and in this instance Adelaide Festival Corporation fell well short.
Further and separate to the above, Adelaide Festival Corporation makes the following comments:
The new Adelaide Festival Board would like to reassure the people of South Australia it is thoroughly committed to the successful delivery of Adelaide Festival 2026.
Following the events relating to Adelaide Writers’ Week in the last seven days, the new Chair of the Adelaide Festival Board Judy Potter said, “We also wish to apologise to Louise Adler AM that the incredible Adelaide Writers Week program she had worked so hard to curate for 2026 has been cancelled as a result of the events that have unfolded over the last week after the announcement of the decision to rescind the invitation to Dr Abdel-Fattah. We acknowledge the principled stand she took in the extremely difficult decision to resign from her role as Director.
“Louise is a revered figure of Australian literature who we hold in the highest regard. Her contributions to, and stewardship of, Adelaide Writers’ Week in the time she has been the Director (2023 – 2025) have been outstanding. We wish also to convey the warm affection of the staff for Louise and their gratitude for her strong convictions,” she said.
Ms Potter also advised that the former decision to establish a subcommittee of the Board to review Adelaide Writers’ Week operational decisions has been rescinded.
She said, “We commit to the curatorial independence of the Director of Adelaide Writers’ Week while noting the Board’s overarching responsibility for a well-delivered event of the highest quality.
“We understand that many in the community are urging reconsideration of the cancellation of Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2026. While we fervently share that desire, our informed assessment of the situation is that it is simply no longer viable for it to proceed. We are determined that Adelaide Writers’ Week will rise again and our energies will be directed to that mission. We are thankful for the many messages of support from within the Adelaide Festival community to assist in the coming weeks and months.” Judy Potter said
Chief Executive of the Adelaide Festival Julian Hobba said: “I, alongside Artistic Director Matt Lutton, the Festival team and our new Board are now fully focused on and committed to the successful presentation of Adelaide Festival 2026. We are grateful for the patience of many Festival artists who have been deeply concerned by the events of the last week.”
“We acknowledge and are grateful that the Premier Peter Malinauskas and Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels have taken swift action to appoint a new Board enabling us to rapidly re-set and continue our work in delivering Matt’s outstanding program. We also appreciate the Premier’s consistent position that the curatorial choices of Adelaide Festival, including Adelaide Writers’ Week, are at the discretion of the organisation,” he said.
