Sydney writers' festival chair resigns amid debate over Israel-Palestine programming

The Guardian

25-02-2025

The chair of the Sydney writers' festival board has resigned over concerns about the festival's balancing of views on matters such as the Israel-Gaza war, saying 'freedom of expression cannot and should not be used as a justification to accept language and conversations that compromise the festival'.
The festival board confirmed Kathy Shand's resignation on Monday, less than a month before the 2025 lineup of writers, speakers and panelists is due to be announced on 13 March.
Shand, a board member of the Sydney Jewish Museum and a former co-publisher of the Australian Jewish News, wrote in her resignation statement that while artistic freedom and independence were essential, 'freedom of expression cannot and should not be used as a justification to accept language and conversations that compromise the festival as a safe and inclusive space for all audiences'.
'Every session that is planned needs to reflect the values of the festival and represent the highest standard of consideration and curation,' she wrote in her resignation letter, sent to the Sydney Morning Herald.
'The reputation of the Sydney writers' festival has been hard won and is well deserved. This needs to be protected and great care needs to be taken with the stages that carry the imprimatur of the festival. At a time when cultural organisations are faced with challenges I wish the festival well.'
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the board had been engaged in a 'years long tussle over the emphasis placed on presenting a diversity of views on issues such as the Middle East conflict and geopolitics'.
Weeks before Shand's resignation, Guardian Australia was briefed about the 2025 program, and can independently confirm it includes multiple prominent Jewish and Palestinian writers and thinkers. The speakers names remain embargoed until 13 March.
Late on Monday, Robert Watkins, the new chair of the festival and Ultimo Press's publishing director, said the festival was a champion of freedom of speech and respectful debate.
The 2025 program, set for release on 13 March, would 'demonstrably reflect the festival's ongoing commitment to presenting a plurality of voices [and] a diversity of thought', Watkins' statement said.
'This includes both Jewish and Palestinian writers and thought leaders. The board are united and supportive of the 2025 program,' he wrote, also praising Shand's 'dedication to championing writers and fostering meaningful engagement'.
Since the conflict in Gaza erupted in October 2023, a steady flow of resignations and calls for boycotts have plagued literary festivals and arts organisations.
Most recently, Creative Australia dumped artist Khaled Sabsabi as Australia's representative at the 2026 Venice Biennale, over past works by the Lebanese-born Australian artist that involved imagery of the now dead Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. That decision that has been widely condemned by prominent artists and art organisations.
At the 2024 Melbourne writers' festival, deputy chair of the board Dr Leslie Reti resigned over the programming of a poetry session involving Aboriginal and Palestinian poets reading their work and sharing their experiences of being colonised.
At last year's Perth writers' festival, an open letter signed by more than 500 writers and arts workers called for the deplatforming of Jewish singer-songwriter Deborah Conway over her previous comments in support of Israel.
Some Jewish figures also called for feminist writer Clementine Ford to be banned from the 2024 Adelaide writers' week due to her social media posts opposing Israel's actions in Gaza.