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Author Richard Flanagan’s appearance at the Brisbane Writers Festival has been cancelled days after he gave a speech in Sydney attacking the pro-Israel lobby.
The cancellation prompted concerns on social media about censorship, but Flanagan has hosed down speculation, telling this masthead the cancellation was due to a date change of a book tour in Poland.
The author, whose 2013 novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North won the Man Booker Prize, was due to appear at the Brisbane Powerhouse on October 11.
A note on the Brisbane Powerhouse website said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances Richard Flanagan’s show at Brisbane Writers Festival has been cancelled.”
“I wonder what the story is here???” Instagram user Justice for Palestine.Magandjin posted.
“Seems like some ideas might be too dangerous for QLD,” added another user.
In a statement, a festival spokesperson said Flanagan was unfortunately no longer able to appear due to the Polish tour.
“BWF extends sincere apologies to all ticketholders, who will be notified via email. We have extended an invitation to Richard to join BWF in 2027,” they said.
Flanagan confirmed the cancellation was due to scheduling.
“I now fly to Warsaw on the weekend of the BWF. The change of dates was all only confirmed in recent days leading to me having, with regret, to withdraw from the festival,” Flanagan wrote in an email.
“I would urge anyone in Brisbane in October to attend what promises to be a marvellous festival of great writers.”
Flanagan said the cancellation was nothing to do with the speech he gave at Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas on August 22, titled The New McCarthyism: Gaza and Australia.
In it, Flanagan argued the pro-Israel lobby was stifling free speech and weaponising the term “antisemitism”.
Former Adelaide Writers’ Week director Louise Adler praised Flanagan’s speech on the FODI Facebook page.
