The Briefing BONUS: Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah on the price of speaking out
Jan 10, 2026
Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, a Palestinian-Australian writer, lawyer, and activist, dives into her recent removal from the Adelaide Writers’ Week. She passionately discusses the personal costs of activism, the cultural safety debate, and the fallout from the Bendigo Writers Festival controversy. Randa addresses the power of solidarity among authors and how public scrutiny affects her work. She candidly shares the emotional impact of parenting amidst global atrocities and the importance of creating alternative spaces when the arts face repression.
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Formative Political Childhood
- Randa Abdel-Fattah grew up in a politically engaged Palestinian-Egyptian household and wore a PLO jumper as a child.
- She attended a Catholic primary school and then Australia's first Islamic secondary school, which shaped her identity and politicisation.
A Novel Born On Commutes
- Randa wrote her first novel at 16 and later revised it while working as a lawyer, editing on train rides and at lunch.
- The book, Does My Head Look Big in This?, responded to the lack of Muslim-Australian protagonists in YA fiction.
Speaking Costs Career But Preserves Conscience
- Randa says career advancement can demand silence and complicity on human rights issues.
- She chooses speaking out over institutional success to remain able to look herself in the mirror.
