Adelaide's New Literary Festival, Constellations, Emerges After Writers' Week Cancellation

A new community literary festival, Constellations, has been organized in Adelaide following the cancellation of the Adelaide Writers' Week. Organizers have clarified that Constellations is not intended as a replacement for the original event.

A Community-Driven Initiative

Organizers are inviting various groups across Adelaide, including bookshops, libraries, schools, and community organizations, to register their events under the Constellations umbrella.

Adelaide author Jennifer Mills stated that the festival was put together by a "loose collective" of writers, booksellers, and publishers.

This initiative has received support from Writers SA, the state's leading organization for writing and literature, and local publisher Pink Shorts Press.

Context: The Writers' Week Cancellation

The Adelaide Writers' Week, which was scheduled for February 28 to March 5, was canceled earlier in the month. This cancellation followed an author boycott in response to the withdrawal of an invitation to Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fatta.

Channelling Disappointment into Action

Constellations plans to host a series of events during the week originally slated for Writers' Week, with further key activities to be announced.

Mills commented that many participants of Writers' Week were "devastated and heartbroken" by the cancellation, but this sentiment was quickly channeled into action. She noted the aim was to ensure the city, writers, and readers did not entirely miss out on opportunities similar to those offered by Writers' Week.

Mills highlighted efforts to rebuild programming, particularly in First Nations and poetry areas, in a different format.

The festival is being funded through donations, with a priority on compensating participating writers. Mills encouraged individuals interested in participating or organizing creative events to contact the organizers.

Walter Marsh, an Adelaide author who had withdrawn from the Adelaide Writers' Week, stated that discussions for alternative events began almost immediately after the cancellation. He found it encouraging that the local literary community sought a positive outcome from the situation.

A Unique, Decentralized Approach

Mills acknowledged the challenges of organizing the festival within a few weeks, praising the dedication of the organizers. She emphasized that Constellations would not replicate the programming or scale of the Adelaide Writers' Week, due to limited time and resources, but would instead support decentralized, community-driven events. The Adelaide City Council has offered venue support for Constellations.