Varoufakis pulls out of Adelaide Writers’ Week after Palestinian writer barred

The secretary general of MeRA25 was scheduled to present his new book, Raise your soul. In a public statement, Varoufakis said he was rescinding his participation after the festival withdrew an invitation to Palestinian writer Rada Abdel-Fattah.

In a video message, Varoufakis said he was publicly tearing up his invitation to Adelaide Writers’ Week. He stated that he had been looking forward to returning to the festival, which he described as a long-standing forum for books and debate, but said he could no longer participate. He attributed the situation to pressure from what he called the ‘Zionist lobby’.

Varoufakis said the festival’s board had withdrawn Abdel-Fattah’s invitation and had listed former New South Wales premier and former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr as a person of ‘concern’. He also referred to the resignation of the festival’s director, Louise Adler, describing her as a personal friend, and said these developments left him no alternative but to withdraw.

Responding to criticism from a Greek-Australian reader who described his decision as unacceptable, Varoufakis rejected claims that Abdel-Fattah had promoted violence or hatred. He argued that her political positions were comparable to past calls by Australian governments for the end of apartheid in South Africa. Varoufakis said Abdel-Fattah had called for equality before the law regardless of religion, ethnicity or creed, and stated that she had been barred from the festival on that basis.

Louise Adler previously resigned as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week in protest over the decision. In an open letter published in The Guardian, Adler said the cancellation of Abdel-Fattah’s appearance had been imposed by the Adelaide Festival board despite her strong opposition.

More than 180 invited participants have since withdrawn from Writers’ Week. Those who have pulled out include former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, as well as writers and journalists Trent Dalton, Peter Greste, Hannah Kent and Evelyn Araluen.

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