KPMG asks Sydney writers’ festival to delete its name from website after Randa Abdel-Fattah confirmed as speaker | Australia news
Global accounting giant KPMG has distanced itself from the Sydney writers’ festival, demanding its name be removed from the event’s website, where it is listed as a corporate partner.
The move follows the festival, where Palestinian Australian academic Randa Abdel-Fattah is scheduled to speak in two sessions at this year’s event.
A KPMG spokesman confirmed the change in a statement to the Guardian on Thursday: “We are the auditor of the company, which we do not describe as a ‘partner’. This is now reflected on their website.”
The spokesman did not confirm whether Abdel Fattah’s schedule led to the move, but said the company had received calls expressing concerns about the issue.
They confirmed that in previous years KPMG had been uncomfortable being identified as a partner on the festival’s website.
KPMG has been providing audit services to SWF at discounted prices since 2023.
In the statement made by the writers’ festival, it was stated that KPMG did not consider itself a partner of the event, according to the company’s own statement.
“The website now reflects this,” the festival said in a statement. “SWF has many wonderful partners and supporters, and we are grateful to them all.”
Abdel Fattah’s participation in literary events became a flashpoint for the arts sector. In January, Adelaide Writers’ Week removed Abdel-Fattah from its program citing “cultural sensitivity” following the terror attack at Bondi Beach.
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This sparked a backlash that resulted in the resignation of the board of directors and the cancellation of the entire event.
Objections to its inclusion centered around a 2024 social media post: “If you are Zionist, you have no claim or right to cultural security”.
Abdel-Fattah also faced backlash for posting “May 2025 will be the end of Israel” after the October 7 attacks and for changing his profile picture to a picture of a Palestinian paratrooper.
Abdel-Fattah said in an interview with ABC that he used the image “when he had no idea about the death toll.”
The Sydney writers’ festival board invited him to appear ahead of the Bondi attack and the Adelaide writers’ week controversy. This week, the invitation was honored, and CEO Brooke Webb said the event was “not in the business of canceling or censoring writers.”
Alex Ryvchin, co-chairman of the Executive Council of Australian Jews. he told ABC News He interpreted Abdel Fattah’s inclusion in the program as “a deliberate provocation and a middle finger to the Jewish community”.
Last week, NSW premier Chris Minns expressed reservations about Abdel-Fattah’s participation in the Newcastle writers’ festival, describing her involvement as “confusing” and “crazy”.
On Wednesday, NSW arts minister John Graham insisted the debate needed to be “de-ignited” but said canceling events would not achieve this.
“Everyone can play a role in this, including our cultural institutions and events,” he said. “We have seen that canceling programs rather than contributing to social cohesion can often have the opposite effect.
“We are working closely with Jewish leaders and our cultural sector, including writers’ festivals, to find ways to ensure that Jewish arts and culture enthusiasts feel welcome at our events and institutions. My expectation is that arts organizations will make this a priority.”
Guardian Australia is also a sponsor of the event.
