Almost $50k raised for Palestinian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah after legal threat

Almost $50,000 has been raised to help cover the legal fees of a Palestinian-Australian author banned from the Adelaide Writers’ Week.

Dr Abdel-Fattah was dropped from this year’s line-up over remarks she had previously made about Israel and the October 7, 2023 attack.

The fallout from the decision resulted in dozens of writers pulling out of the event and board members resigning, along with the festival’s director Louise Adler.

The 2026 Adelaide Writer’s Week was later cancelled.

On Wednesday, Dr Abdel-Fattah took the extraordinary step of threatening legal action against South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas.

The author accused the Labor Premier of suggesting she was an “extreme terrorist sympathiser” and linked to the Bondi Beach terror attack in statements made on Tuesday.

“This is a vicious personal assault on me, a private citizen, by the highest official in South Australia,” she said in a social media post.

“It was defamatory and it terrified me.”

Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah said her lawyers had issued a concerns notice under the Defamation Act.

A fundraising campaign for Dr Abdel-Fattah’s legal fees by Thursday afternoon had raised more than $46,000 against a targeted of $100,000.

The campaign was organised by Readers and Writers Against the Genocide, which describes itself as a “community of readers and writers who believe in the power of literature to enable us to speak up and be visible in our opposition to genocide in Palestine”.

In a message, Dr Abdel-Fattah said she had retained legal representation over the past two years, citing an escalating “campaign” against her.

“I am reluctantly reaching out to my supporters in the community to assist with these costs,” she said.

“Funds raised will go towards current and future legal fees, and if enough is raised, a fighting fund for defamation suits.”

Dr Abdel-Fattah said she was concerned the financial risk to her family would be too high.

“A failed defamation suit would bankrupt my family,” she warned.

Mr Maliauskas has staunchly rejected claims he pressured the now-defunct Adelaide Board to disinvite Dr Abdel-Fattah.

“Throughout the entirety of this, my only motivation and all the words that I have spoken have come from a place and desire for people to treat each other civilly, with compassion,” Mr Malinauskas said during a Wednesday press conference.

“I’ve been very transparent about my views of things and the board has made an independent decision themselves.

“I think the whole circumstances that have played out have been unfortunate but my advocacy has always been about making sure that people treat each other with decency and respect.”

The legal threat largely centres on earlier comments by the Premier, in which he warned: “Can you imagine if a far-right Zionist walked into a Sydney mosque and murdered 15 people.

“Can you imagine that as Premier of this state, I would actively support a far-right Zionist going to Writers’ Week and speaking hateful rhetoric towards Islamic people? Of course I wouldn’t.”

Twist as festival reinvites banned author

The Adelaide Festival Corporation on Thursday announced it had reversed its ban of Dr Abdel-Fattah, inviting her to return to Writers’ Week in 2027.

The Adelaide Festival Corporation published apologies to Dr Abdel-Fattah and Ms Adler and retracted an earlier statement explaining a decision to exclude the academic “because it would be culturally insensitive to allow her to participate.”

“We have reversed the decision and will reinstate Dr Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to speak at the next Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2027,” a spokesman said.

“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.”

Dr Abdel-Fattah accepted the apology as an acknowledgment to speak about the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people.

“I accept this apology as a vindication of our collective solidarity and mobilisation against anti-Palestinian racism, bullying and censorship,” she said.

“I accept this unreserved apology as acknowledgment of the harm inflicted on our communities.

“I will consider the Board’s invitation to participate in 2027 Adelaide Writers’ Week at the appropriate time but would be there in a heartbeat if Louise Adler was the director again.”

The statement said Ms Adler worked hard to curate an incredible program for 2026 that was cancelled as a result of the events that unfolded over the last week.

“We acknowledge the principled stand she took in the extremely difficult decision to resign from her role as director,” the state read.

“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.”