- Entire board walked just days after controversial decision
- More than 180 writers pulled out of the event
The Adelaide Writers’ Week has been axed and the entire board of directors will step down over a controversial decision to uninvite a Palestinian author.
The news comes just hours after director Louise Adler publicly resigned from her post in an opinion article on Tuesday morning.
Ms Adler’s resignation was just one of many departures, with half of the board having resigned over the weekend, following the board’s January 8 decision to disinvite Palestinian author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah.
More than 180 authors and commentators also boycotted the festival, along with arguably the event’s most high-profile figure, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, Adelaide Festival said the decision to axe the event altogether is a ‘deeply regrettable outcome.’
‘As a board we took this action out of respect for a community experiencing the pain from a devastating event. Instead, this decision has created more division and for that we express our since apologies,’ they said.
‘Many authors have since announced they will no longer appear… it is the Adelaide Festival’s position that the event can no longer go ahead as scheduled for this year.
‘We recognise and deeply regret the distress this decision has caused to our audience, artists and writers, donors, corporate partners, the government and our own staff and people.’
Adelaide Festival also issued a public apology to Dr Abdel-Fattah for how its decision to disinvite her was ‘represented’.
‘[We] reiterate this is not about identity or dissent but rather a continuing rapid shift in the national discourse around the breadth of freedom of expression in our nation following Australia’s worst terror attack in history,’ they added.
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More to come.
