‘And, whatever the Board’s protestations that the two are not linked, how telling, how grim, is the dog whistle connecting Dr Abdel-Fattah’s name with the Bondi massacre.’

No really - where is he? Nearly 100 writers have now pulled out, so the festival obvs cannot proceed…

All this and it’s only 9 January

First withdrawal from the Adelaide Festival proper, DJ Haram www.indailysa.com.au/citymag/cult...

MEAA stands against racism in the media, entertainment and arts industries and condemns Adelaide Festival’s decision to drop Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. meaa.io/45xUCM6

“Cultural sensitivity” means destroying an entire arts festival rather than allowing a Palestinian person to come along and talk about her new novel.

Yesterday I wrote to the Adelaide Festival Board to withdraw my participation from Adelaide Writers Week. Their decision to intervene in Writers Week programming and cancel the participation of author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah is completely unacceptable.

My statement regarding my decision to withdraw from this year’s Adelaide Writers Festival.

Extraordinary how much of Australia’s literary and cultural leadership more broadly are completely out of step with the writers and artists without whom they would not exist at all

Randa Abdel-Fattah’s response:

Well, I was going to be on a panel at the Adelaide Writers' Festival but I'm not any more.

What’s the point of writers’ festivals — or, for that matter, writers — if they can’t discuss issues that matter? Australian arts administrators would rather destroy the whole sector than allow Palestinians to speak about genocide. It’s beyond shameful.

As a former Director of Adelaide Writers' Week I am appalled that the Adelaide Festival Board has rescinded Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's invitation to the 2026 AWW, explicitly linking its decision to the shattering crimes in Bondi.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

I stand with Randa and everyone standing against hate, genocide, oppression and terror. In all its forms.

Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide: "International law is universal and binding for all states. The American intervention in Venezuela is not in accordance with international law."

When I first considered learning the violin, I was startled by how many people insist you cannot pick it up as an adult, or if you do, you can't expect to get really good. Fuck those people. Starting to learn the violin at age 40 was one of the best things I've ever done.

Like many of the extremely elderly people we are fast becoming, J and I went to see the early NYE session of The Choral last night. It was exactly the kind of 3-star semi-fluff you'd expect, but jfc the conducting scenes were deeply infuriating. Wtf was Ralph Fiennes even DOING with his arms

Who ever this is serving, it’s not helping anything www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...

There is no credible evidence that the perpetrators of the Bondi terrorist attack had anything to do with recent protests www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

'The banning of protests will not stop antisemitism, and the premier is wrong to disgracefully link years of peaceful protest to such a horrific and unrelated event. The attack was antisemitic. The protests have not been.' www.theguardian.com/law/2025/dec...

www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/medi... “The Jewish Council urges the Prime Minister to ensure that the Government’s response remains grounded in evidence, focused on prevention, the widest possible consultation and committed to unity.”

If you haven't read @jeffsparrow1.bsky.social's article for @overlandjournal.bsky.social yesterday on the politics of what's happened in the aftermath of the Bondi massacre, let me recommend you do so now. overland.org.au/2025/12/on-t...

"Now they’re hacking away at the actual librarians? Shame on them. They bring disgrace on the name of our city.”

There were hundreds if not thousands of people searched using these designated area powers that didn’t comply with the law, and 33 people were charged or fined. VicPol notifying IBAC. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

“At the end of the day, most people do not give a shit about Ned Kelly’s rotating three-dimensional helmet…Most people come into the library to use a computer, to use wifi, to look something up, to ask a librarian for help.” www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

I had a very nice time writing about this new/old shipwreck found down at Point Lonsdale

Idly remembering when I would agree to spend hours reading a new-release book and writing my critical thoughts about it to be paid a grand total of $30 for my efforts by a magazine that is a household name

I made a custom dashboard for bird of the year votes for our ANNOUNCEMENT LIVESTREAM today because today I am the Antony Green of bird voting (i did not have time to do a label collision algorithm do not @ me about it pls) You can see it in action here shortly www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Follow our live blog with best birder @gingerandhoney.bsky.social for the official 2025 Guardian/Birdlife Australia bird of the year winner announcement www.theguardian.com/environment/... #birds #birdoftheyear

Hello! I am helming the @australia.theguardian.com Bird of the Year winner liveblog today - probably the best job you could have on a Thursday?? You can join me for all the bird fun here:

"The federal government should listen to the concerns of child sexual abuse survivors and allow Australian honours to be rescinded after perpetrators and enablers have died, campaigners say." From the desk of @gingerandhoney.bsky.social

The federal government should listen to the concerns of child sexual abuse survivors and allow Australian honours to be rescinded after perpetrators and enablers have died, campaigners say. “Stop for a minute and think about the lives that have been ruined."

A little story about our local tawny frogmouth family for @australia.theguardian.com’s Bird of the Year

The federal environment minister has conceded that successive governments acted unlawfully when they failed to create mandatory recovery plans for native species threatened with extinction

Exclusive: distinguished Prof Fiona Stanley was ‘ashamed’ after the hospital named after her abruptly cancelled an event featuring Palestinian-Australian doctors speaking about their experiences in Gaza, and says she even considered asking the hospital to remove her name

I "made" @birdmichael.bsky.social come to the Western Treatment Plant with me on a workday to look for brolgas and orange-bellied parrots so I could write this article

Meanjin’s performance and sustainability were the focus of a review commissioned by MUP in February. The final recommendations of the report, which was never released publicly, did not include closing Meanjin.

Exclusive: Complaint letter emerges after the Royal Children’s Hospital decided to cancel a ‘children and war’ panel, angering staff www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

It’s ludicrous and insulting to suggest that the richest university in Australia can’t afford the two part-time wages to run Meanjin. Also: did they even try to save it? Donation drive? Philanthropic efforts? Offering it to another institution? No. The university council shut it down intentionally.

Since our very first issue Meanjin and Overland have been comrades, mates, rivals, and drinking buddies. The UMP board’s decision is a shockingly myopic act of cultural vandalism which will grievously harm the Australian literary community.

What the actual fuck

Genuinely shocked to read this paragraph in The Australian today, as a take on yesterday's racist, anti-immigrant marches.

I'd suggest that today's events constitute an opportunity for those opposed to Nazism & fascism to take a moment to reflect on the ease with which neo-Nazis can assume leadership in these moments.

Important seal news: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

well this is very depressing...everyone in this country should learn and know how to swim, by @gingerandhoney.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

A follow to yesterday's story: A growing number of Australian GPs have reported being subjected to frivolous or vexatious complaints to the health regulator about social media posts opposing Israel’s war in Gaza. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

New from me today: High-profile emergency physician Dr Stephen Parnis has stepped down as chair of the board of a leading medical insurance provider in an apparent response to concerns about statements he has made on social media opposing the war in Gaza.

Sitting outside my violin teacher’s house because I’m five minutes early and being treated to an absolute virtuoso performance between him and his current student and it’s glorious to hear

Writers festival requires ‘complete self-censorship’ over Gaza war, academic says, as speakers withdraw in protest

One of the many devastating things about making this video was that we had to update it about three times during the making to account for further killings of journalists, including (you'll see at the end) a special mention of the 6 Al Jazeera journalists targeted by Israel. Please watch to the end.