Randa Abdel-Fattah
Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian-Egyptian writer and academic known for her exploration of identity, race, and the experiences of Muslim communities in Australia. She gained recent attention for her involvement in the Bendigo Writers Festival, where her participation was challenged by a controversial code of conduct that aimed to limit discussions on certain topics, including those related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Abdel-Fattah has been vocal about her experiences with censorship and the impact of such policies on freedom of expression.
Not in the pool (under ¢1).
Recent news mentions
Palestinian-Australian writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah was spectacularly uninvited from Writers’ Week by the then Adelaide Festival board.
after all the drama, how did it pan out?
Australia· 2026-03-05
Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian Australian author and academic whose remarks have sparked controversy regarding her participation in the Sydney Writers' Festival.
Australian writers festivals face uncertain future after backlash and wavering sponsorsAustralia· 2026-02-20
Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah will headline the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2026 program after being controversially dropped from the Adelaide Writers’ Week.
Sydney Writers’ Festival 2026 set to be headlined by Randa Abdel-Fattah after Adelaide Festival controversyAustralia· 2026-02-17
Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian-Australian writer whose removal from a festival sparked controversy.
ASIO email blunder revealed by ABC boss Hugh MarksAustralia· 2026-02-10
Palestinian-Australian writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah will speak at the festival after her removal from Adelaide Writers’ Week sparked its cancellation.
Not Writers’ Week launches in Adelaide with Louise Adler, Randa Abdel-Fattah as headlinersAustralia· 2026-02-04
Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah was disinvited from Adelaide Writers’ Week under pressure from the South Australian government.
How the Adelaide Writers’ Week collapse is affecting Sydney Writers Festival and Melbourne Writers FestivalAustralia· 2026-01-24
Randa Abdel-Fattah's critics accused her of hypocrisy for seeking to cancel others.
Donald Trump a reminder that governments should govern, not police speech ... or artistsAustralia· 2026-01-18
Randa Abdel-Fattah is an outspoken academic and author at the center of the Adelaide Writers’ Week crisis.
Who is Randa Abdel-Fattah, the author and activist at the centre of the Adelaide Writers’ Week crisisAustralia· 2026-01-17
Randa Abdel-Fattah's inclusion in the Adelaide Writers’ Week was controversially questioned after the Bondi Beach terror attack.
Post Orientalist Express; Burgerz; NowhereAustralia· 2026-01-17
The removal of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the program was a blatant act of censorship.
Festival cancellation a blow for debut authorsAustralia· 2026-01-17
Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah was removed from the Writers' Week line-up, prompting significant backlash from the arts community.
How Adelaide Writers’ Week went from peak excitement to disasterAustralia· 2026-01-16
Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian-Australian writer who was disinvited from the Adelaide Writers' Week due to her critical stance on Israel.
The fallout from the Gaza War continues to be felt in the literary world
Canada· 2026-01-16
Abdel-Fattah accepted the apology from the Adelaide Festival as a vindication of collective solidarity against anti-Palestinian racism.
Adelaide Festival apologises to Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah over festival removalAustralia· 2026-01-15
Abdel-Fattah was involved in petitioning the festival to remove Friedman from the program.
Thomas Friedman says he did not withdraw from Adelaide Festival in 2024Australia· 2026-01-15
Randa Abdel-Fattah rejected allegations of hypocrisy regarding her views on free speech.
Ex-board member accuses Louise Adler of hypocrisy over NYT writerAustralia· 2026-01-14Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah is taking legal action against South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas, accusing him of defamation.
Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah to sue Premier Peter MalinauskasAustralia· 2026-01-14Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah had been scheduled to speak about her new novel, Discipline, which examines ideas of truth and censorship.
Louise Adler resigns from Adelaide Writers’ Week over Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s removal from lineupAustralia· 2026-01-13
Randa Abdel-Fattah says a decision to exclude her from the Adelaide Festival was a 'shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism'.
How Adelaide Writers' Week imploded after axing Palestinian author
United Kingdom· 2026-01-13
Randa Abdel-Fattah is an Australian author of fiction and non-fiction whose work often explores the experience of being Muslim in Australia.
Festival na Austrália sob críticas após retirar convite a autora palestiniana | Livros
Portugal· 2026-01-12The board decided to remove Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the Writers’ Week program.
Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Writers’ Week in crisis as chair of the board resignsAustralia· 2026-01-12
Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian-Australian writer who was removed from the Adelaide Writers' Week event.
Fallout over silenced Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah continuesAustralia· 2026-01-11
Randa Abdel-Fattah was removed from the program at Adelaide Writers’ Week.
Cathy Wilcox cartoon was divisive, and The Herald apologises for the hurt it has causedAustralia· 2026-01-11
Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian writer who responded to allegations of antisemitism and claims of a smear campaign against her.
Writers festival organisers call for more freedom of expression courage after Bendigo boycottAustralia· 2025-08-19