The Adelaide Festival is grappling with one of the most serious governance crises in its history after three board members resigned in rapid succession, deepening fallout from the controversial removal of Palestinian Australian author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah from the 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week program.
Journalist Daniela Ritorto, businesswoman Donny Walford and lawyer Nick Linke all stepped down during an extraordinary board meeting on Saturday, just days after the festival announced it would no longer proceed with Abdel-Fattah’s scheduled appearance. Their resignations have intensified scrutiny of the board’s decision-making and left the organisation facing potential legal and operational paralysis.
The departures come amid a growing boycott of festival events, with more than 70 writers, artists and participants withdrawing from next month’s programs in protest. Many have accused the festival of censorship and political bias, arguing that the decision undermines freedom of expression and disproportionately targets Palestinian voices.
With the loss of three members, questions are now being raised about whether the Adelaide Festival board can continue to function at all. Under the Adelaide Festival Corporation Act 1998, the board must meet strict gender composition requirements, including a minimum of two men and two women. Following Linke’s resignation, only one male board member remains — Brenton Cox, the managing director of Adelaide Airport — placing the board in breach of the Act and casting doubt on its ability to lawfully make decisions.
If the board is unable to achieve a quorum, its legal authority to oversee planning and governance for the 2026 festival could be effectively suspended, forcing intervention by the state government or triggering a broader restructuring.
Despite the escalating crisis, the board has remained silent since issuing its initial statement last Thursday announcing the cancellation of Abdel-Fattah’s appearance. In that statement, the board said it had been “shocked and saddened” by the recent mass stabbing attack at Bondi Junction in Sydney and cited a “significant heightening of both community tensions and the community debate” as the context for its decision.
“As the Board responsible for the Adelaide Festival organisation and all Adelaide Writers’ Week events, staff, volunteers and participants, we have today advised scheduled writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah that the Board has formed the judgment that we do not wish to proceed with her scheduled appearance at next month’s Writers’ Week,” the statement said.
The board insisted it was not suggesting “in any way” that Abdel-Fattah or her work had any connection to the Bondi attack. However, it added that the decision had been made “given her past statements” and concluded that it would not be “culturally sensitive” to proceed with her appearance so soon after the tragedy.
The explanation drew immediate backlash. Within hours, Abdel-Fattah issued a strongly worded response, accusing the festival of “blatant and shameless” anti-Palestinian racism and political censorship. She described the implied association between her views and the Bondi massacre as “despicable” and said the decision set a dangerous precedent for silencing dissenting voices.
The controversy escalated further on Sunday when Sydney law firm Marque, acting on Abdel-Fattah’s behalf, sent a formal legal letter to the board chair, Tracey Whiting. The letter demands that the board identify every statement by Abdel-Fattah that influenced its decision to exclude her from the program.
“Your letter notified Dr Abdel-Fattah of the board’s decision to exclude her from participating as a speaker at Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2026,” wrote Marque’s managing partner, Michael Bradley. “Your letter was the first indication she received that her participation was in question. There was no communication or consultation of any kind with her prior to the decision.”
Bradley said the notice provided to his client failed to give any substantive justification, beyond a vague claim that it would not be culturally sensitive to proceed. He argued that the board’s subsequent public statement — which referenced Abdel-Fattah’s “past statements” — contradicted that explanation and raised serious concerns about procedural fairness.
“As a matter of basic procedural fairness to Dr Abdel-Fattah, please identify with specificity each of the past statements made by her on which the board relied in making the decision,” the letter said. “She is entitled to this information.”
The board has been given until 14 January to respond. The letter also instructs Whiting and the remaining board members to preserve all documents, correspondence and records relating to the matter, signalling the possibility of legal action if a satisfactory explanation is not provided.
The Adelaide Festival board had previously resisted calls to remove pro-Israel columnist Thomas Friedman from the 2024 Writers’ Week program, despite controversy surrounding a column in which he likened the Middle East conflict to the animal kingdom. Critics argue that the differing responses point to selective enforcement of standards and political double standards.
As pressure mounts from writers, legal representatives and the broader arts community, the Adelaide Festival now faces an uncertain future. With its board depleted, its credibility damaged and potential legal challenges looming, the crisis has raised fundamental questions about governance, accountability and the role of cultural institutions in navigating political debate during times of heightened global tension.
