Theatre Review: Australia Day The thorny topics connected to Australia Day tumble out in Therry Theatre’s latest production

Theatre Review: Australia Day. The thorny topics connected to Australia Day tumble out in Therry Theatre's latest production.

All set up for the Indie Verse Book Event in the Estonian Hall, North Adelaide. Stunning range of local, independent writers on show. Here until 4pm just up the hill from the CBD #gatherround events.

#indieauthors #booksbooksbooks #southaustralia #Adelaide

Festival chief warned author's removal would 'decimate' Writers' Week An extraordinary series of emails sheds light on the reservations that preceded, and internal fallout that followed, the decision to scrap Randa Abdel-Fattah's Writers' Week appearance.

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

None of us live completely independently. We all rely on others to varying extents.

But by demonising disabled people, the media frames needing support to live as the worst crime you could commit. We all deserve more support from the government to live well. /1

The significance of the Christchurch terrorist’s roots in Australia are still not properly recognised or addressed, said Jabri Markwell, even as the Muslim community continues to be painted by politicians and others in positions of power as a group “to fear or hate”. “He was socialised in his attitudes growing up in Australia,” she said. “A lot of his online activity was in Australia. A lot of the hate that he developed happened in Australia. Those views are not shaped in a few weeks, they are shaped over years. “There has been no accountability since that horrible day for the role that official language had in that Australian’s radicalisation.”

I thought about this a lot when the whole royal commission debate kicked off at the start of the year. (by @arielbogle.bsky.social) www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Adelaide Festival Review: Whitefella Yella Tree Whitefella Yella Tree is an important story centring humanity and love as they struggle to survive while their worlds and cultures are being shattered

Adelaide Festival Review: Whitefella Yella Tree. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Whitefella Yella Tree is an important story centring on humanity and love as they struggle to survive while their worlds and cultures are being shattered.

If we're doing it right

📣 Reportedly only 140,000 out of the 480,000 Robodebt class action members have registered to receive additional compensation in the proposed settlement.

If you're eligible, you have until 4pm tomorrow to register with Gordon Legal:

robodebtsettlement.com.au

Adelaide Fringe Review: Shitegeist A dark comedic talent that enjoys poking at the horrors of our modern day realities

Adelaide Fringe Review: Shitegeist. A dark comedic talent that enjoys poking at the horrors of our modern day realities.

The Israel lobby and its stenographers in the media dislike context so last night at the Adelaide Town Hall I set the record straight on the #AWW26 debacle.Given the continuing misrepresentation and fact free reporting an edited version of the speech is now up on the Pearls & Irritations website.

Louise Adler sets the record straight on Adelaide Writers' Week The Adelaide Writers’ Week (AWW) debacle might have served as a “life lesson” to politicians and lobbyists about the risks involved in interfering with the independence of arts organisations. But as we have seen at Newcastle and the Sydney Writers Festival some are apparently slow learners.

The Adelaide Writers’ Week saga was about lobby groups, false equivalence and pressure on cultural institutions to bend to political demands, Louise Adler writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #ArtsIndependence #WritersFestivals #CulturalPolitics #FreeSpeech

Adelaide Fringe Review: Fountain Lakes: Y2K An absolute belter and highly entertaining flash back to the late nineties and classics from Kath and Kim

Fringe Review: 5 stars for Fountain Lakes: Y2K. Had an absolute blast at this one. Can highly recommend for an entertaining night out, especially for the Kath & Kim fans.

Adelaide Fringe Review: Anisa Nandaula – No Small Talk Anisa Nandaula’s stand up is a wonderful reminder of the essentials of storytelling and connection in comedy

Only doing a couple Adelaide Fringe reviews this year and had a joy kicking it off at Rhino Room with Anisa Nandaula's No Small Talk.

Happy #LibSpill Day for those who celebrate.

As always - remember this is what they do when they know they are being filmed.

Love a new year restock after the holiday rush. Thank you to everyone for the ongoing support of an independent publisher.
This year has two exciting books scheduled for release.
In the meantime, our range is always available to purchase direct from our online shop.
buoncattivipress.com/bookshop

Australia is suffering from a femicide crisis. Media outlets carry a responsibility to centre the victims, avoid blame shifting, and report the killings of women and children with care and restraint. When they fail to do that, they stop informing the public and start compounding the harm.

The dark arts - The Shot The ideology of the Israel lobby in Australia is this - burn it to the ground rather than ever allow an opposing voice.

Here's @ronnisalt.bsky.social. "The dark arts"

Earlier this week, former festival board member Tony Berg, who is of Jewish heritage, made an extraordinary accusation of “hypocrisy” against the director of Adelaide Writers week, Louise Adler, saying she had lobbied for the removal of Friedman from the festival lineup [for calling Arab peoples in three countries insects, and worse]

Thomas Friedman, who is Jewish, confirmed to Nine newspapers on Thursday that after he agreed to appear in a video link session, he was subsequently notified "that the timing would not work out"

smarter people than me have noted that Louise Adler’s anti-zionist stance as a Jewish woman has been systematically erased from mainstream coverage of AWW, and why.

A list of 21 debut authors who almost appeared at a writers’ festival.

Imagine you were about to appear at a writers' festival to talk about your first book... then the whole thing fell apart.

I wanted to find debut authors who almost talked at Adelaide Writers' Week. These are 21 folks I've identified so far but *please* let me know who I've missed or mixed up.

No notes

All the power and love to @cathywilcox.bsky.social

Oh look! In 2024, the Festival Board recognised that an international reputation for supporting artistic freedom of expression was worth protecting.

(Note too that despite News Corp's desperate framing, Friedman was NOT uninvited from the 2024 Writers' Week)

I have been sent a copy of Adelaide Festival's response to the letter raising concerns about Thomas Friedman's participating in Adelaide Writers Week.

The response says that Friedman could not participate due to "last minute scheduling issues".

Prior to yesterday, I thought the South Australian Premier could sleepwalk his way to the state election. Talk about own goal.

Great piece put together by my Conversation colleagues on Adelaide Writers Week.

Denis Muller: ‘This decision goes far beyond the established standards embodied in the Racial Discrimination Act, which makes it an offence to “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” people because of their race.’

Randa Abdel-Fattah’s response:

As a former Director of Adelaide Writers' Week I am appalled that the Adelaide Festival Board has rescinded Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's invitation to the 2026 AWW, explicitly linking its decision to the shattering crimes in Bondi.

A shocking decision that will and should have far-reaching consequences.

For background, especially people who do not live in South Australia, Adelaide Writers Festival is free to the public and open access. IIRC, it formally sits within, and has its budget allocated by, Adelaide Festival, a statutory authority, and is subject to AFs board.

Absolutely disgraceful from the Adelaide Festival.
I hope other participants reconsider their part in it.