The chair of the Sydney writers’ festival board, Kathy Shand, has stepped down over concerns about the balance of views on topics such as the Israel-Gaza conflict. Shand emphasized that freedom of expression should not be used to compromise the festival’s commitment to being a safe and inclusive space for all attendees. Robert Watkins, the new chair of the festival, assured that the 2025 program will reflect the festival’s commitment to diversity of thought and respectful debate, including contributors from both Jewish and Palestinian backgrounds. The decision to present a diverse lineup has been the subject of ongoing debate within the festival board for years. This controversy reflects a wider trend of resignations and calls for boycotts in literary festivals and arts organizations, as seen in recent disagreements such as the Creative Australia decision concerning artist Khaled Sabsabi’s exclusion from the Venice Biennale and similar controversies at other writers’ festivals.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/25/sydney-writers-festival-chair-kathy-shand-resignation-israel-palestine-programming-ntwnfb