Bendigo Writers Festival: Around 50 participants withdraw over free speech concerns around Israel-Gaza war; event spokesperson reacts
Around 50 writers and moderators have withdrawn from the Bendigo Writers Festival in central Victoria, which began on August 15, 2025 (Friday), over concerns about free speech pertaining to the Israel-Gaza war, according to ABC News. The three-day festival will end on August 17, 2025 (Sunday). The cancellations include the festival's opening night gala.Academic and author Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah, First Nations poet Dr. Evelyn Araluen, and Wiradjuri writer and poet Jeanine Leane were among the first to withdraw from the festival over the code, reported The Guardian. According to festival spokesperson Julie Amos, organizers were processing refunds for ticket holders after 15 sessions across the three-day event were cancelled because writers pulled out.
The flurry of withdrawals from the writers' festival came due to the festival's code of conduct, which mentions broad issues like respect and inclusivity but urges attendees to discuss "sensitive topics" with "balance and respect," according to media reports.
According to the code, 'La Trobe Presents' panels and speakers must comply with the principles espoused in La Trobe University's anti-racism plan, including the plan's definitions of antisemitism. The list of withdrawals updated by the group Readers and Writers against Genocide includes names like Thomas Mayo, Jock Serong, Jess Hill, and Kirstin Ferguson, The Guardian reported. The plan stated that "criticism of the policies and practices of the Israeli government or state is not in and of itself antisemitic," according to ABC News. "However, criticism of Israel can be antisemitic when it is grounded in harmful tropes, stereotypes, or assumptions and when it calls for the elimination of the State of Israel or all Jews or when it holds Jewish individuals or communities responsible for Israel's actions," the plan added.
Speaking on the code of conduct, Amos said that it was not brought in to censor free speech; rather, it was intended as a set of guidelines to "facilitate respectful conversations" about global political issues."It's no secret that we are living in an incredibly risk-averse environment at the moment," she said, as quoted by ABC News. "We encourage discussions about these issues. We're not trying to shut them down. We just want to make sure those really, really important conversations happen in a safe way," she further stated.
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