Writers festivals navigate the fraught frontier between social media’s echo chambers of outrage and the civilised public debate of the public square. What’s the way forward in this heated atmosphere?
From left: Kateryna Babkina, Maria Tumarkin and Olesya Khromeychuk.
Three Ukranian authors, including Maria Tumarkin – who’s made a powerful statement – have withdrawn from Adelaide Writers Week after harsh criticism of the Ukranian president by a participating author.
Pictured, left to right: Mohammed El-Kurd, Louise Adler and Susan Abulhawa.
Calls have erupted to cancel two writers from Adelaide Writers’ Week – including from South Australia’s Opposition leader. Why? And are they justified? Denis Muller weighs the evidence.