Your Views: On the Adelaide Festival Board’s decision to drop a Palestinian writer |
The Adelaide Festival Board’s decision over Writers’ Week has sparked strong reactions from readers. Read the Letters to the Editor.
Mask dropped
Michael Galvin is right in saying the mask has dropped. I see the provincial, old -timey, double-breasted suit wearing, Sir Thomas Playford old boys (and old girls’) club that held power when I left SA in the 1960’s never really went away.
If the board is so confident in its position, let it publish the letters upon which it based its decision including – for perspective – the authors.
One might be tempted to question if the composition of the board is fit for purpose for a literary festival. – Dallas Stow
My letter to board
Well – what a surprise. This is what I wrote to the board yesterday
I am simply appalled to read just now about the decision of the board to remove Dr Adbel-Fattah from the Writers’ Week program.
Certainly, the recent event at Bondi Beach was horrific – but that does not justify shutting down free exchange of views as we have come to expect from Writers’ Week – and which are important in building cohesion in our society.
Bearing in mind that Australia has recognised the State of Palestine, it seems particularly inappropriate to shut down discussion on that matter at this stage. Certainly shutting down one set of views hardly seems to be more culturally ‘sensitive’. – Robert Fletcher
Authors withdrawing
Quite a few (not all) of those withdrawing seem to me to be the ‘usual suspects’. –Mark Coleman
Repercussions for state election
To the board members of The Adelaide........