Adelaide Writers' Week appoints new director after 2026 crisis over Randa Abdel-Fattah cancellation
Consensus Summary
The Adelaide Writers' Week appointed Rosemarie Milsom, the founding director of the Newcastle Writers’ Festival, as its new director for three years following the cancellation of the 2026 event. The crisis began when the festival board, under pressure from South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, disinvited Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah due to her past comments about Israel and Zionism. This decision triggered a mass writer boycott, the resignation of director Louise Adler and the entire board, and the festival’s collapse. Milsom, who had previously faced similar pressure at the Newcastle Writers’ Festival but refused to disinvite authors, emphasized the importance of curatorial independence and freedom of expression. The new Adelaide Festival board apologized to Abdel-Fattah and invited her to speak at the 2027 event, a move Milsom welcomed as a step toward rebuilding trust. Both sources agree that the festival will return in 2027, with programming details to be released in late October 2026, and that Milsom will start her role in mid-May 2026.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Rosemarie Milsom was appointed as the new director of Adelaide Writers' Week for the next three years, starting mid-May 2026.
- Louise Adler resigned as Adelaide Writers' Week director in January 2026 after the festival board cancelled Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah’s scheduled appearance.
- The cancellation of Randa Abdel-Fattah’s appearance led to a mass writer boycott, the resignation of the entire Adelaide Festival board, and the cancellation of the 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week.
- South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas wrote a letter to the Adelaide Festival board in January 2026 expressing concern about Abdel-Fattah’s inclusion, citing the October 7, 2023 Bondi attack.
- Rosemarie Milsom previously faced pressure to remove authors from the 2024 Newcastle Writers’ Festival but refused, and the festival saw record attendance in 2026 with no boycotts.
- The new Adelaide Festival board apologized to Randa Abdel-Fattah and invited her to speak at the 2027 Adelaide Writers' Week.
- Adelaide Writers' Week will return in 2027 after being cancelled in 2026.
- Rosemarie Milsom is the founding director of the Newcastle Writers’ Festival, which she will step down from to take the Adelaide role.
- Programming details for the 2027 Adelaide Writers' Week will be released from late October 2026.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Rosemarie Milsom asked the Adelaide Festival board if they had a policy of curatorial independence before accepting the job.
- New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called the Newcastle Writers’ Festival 'crazy' for inviting Abdel-Fattah in March 2026.
- Milsom described the fallout of the 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week as 'disappointing', 'unfortunate', and 'regrettable' but expressed confidence in the new board's direction.
- Milsom said she would seek a meeting with Premier Malinauskas ahead of the 2027 festival.
- The Adelaide Festival’s new board has apologized to Abdel-Fattah, and Milsom welcomed the move, saying it signified a positive direction.
- Milsom predicted the Adelaide controversy over Abdel-Fattah and had been preparing for months before the crisis unfolded.
- Milsom refused to issue generic press statements during the Newcastle Writers’ Festival controversy and directly emailed all booked writers to assure them of their inclusion.
- Milsom credits her 20-year journalism career for helping her navigate pressure to disinvite writers, emphasizing the importance of curatorial independence.
- Milsom said she has received threatening DMs and emails during the controversy but refuses to let external pressure dictate programming decisions.
- Milsom expressed frustration with arts organizations that cancel performances or exclude artists due to views on the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling it a 'slippery slope'.
- Milsom mentioned that she has considered quitting the Newcastle Writers’ Festival due to the pressure but ultimately stayed committed to her principles.
- Milsom said she does not envy anyone in her position, emphasizing that running a writers’ festival is not the same as making national policy decisions.
- Milsom stated that Premier Malinauskas has been issued two concerns notices by lawyers representing Abdel-Fattah.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC states that the Adelaide Festival board dis-invited Randa Abdel-Fattah after seeking advice from Premier Malinauskas, while the Guardian implies the board acted independently before consulting him.
- The ABC mentions that the new Adelaide Festival board invited Abdel-Fattah to speak at the 2027 festival as a gesture of apology, while the Guardian notes that only one writer (Abdel-Fattah) has been invited so far, without explicitly stating it was an apology gesture.
Source Articles
Adelaide Festival appoints new Writers' Week director in wake of crisis
The new director of Adelaide Writers' Week says she is hopeful "really important lessons have been learned" following the implosion of this year's literary festival.
After collapse and controversy, Adelaide writers’ week has a new director: ‘I don’t envy anyone in this position’
Rosemarie Milsom, who formed and runs Newcastle writers festival, will take over from Louise Adler after the literary festival imploded over invitation to Randa Abdel-Fattah In January, as the implosion of Adelaide writers’ week made headlines around Australia and the world, Rosemarie Milsom was watching closely. The Adelaide festival board, which oversees AWW, had overridden the literary festival’s director, Louise Adler, and disinvited the Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah over