Corporate Withdrawal Sparks Debate Over Free Speech and Association
Global accounting and professional services firm KPMG has asked the organisers of the Sydney Writers’ Festival to remove its name from the event’s website after Palestinian-Australian academic and author Randa Abdel-Fattah was confirmed as a speaker in the 2026 program. The request has reignited broader debate in Australia over corporate sponsorship, cultural events and the limits of free expression in public forums.
The Sydney Writers’ Festival — one of Australia’s largest literary gatherings — listed KPMG as a “corporate partner” on its official site. KPMG, however, has emphasised in a statement that its role is limited to providing auditing services, and it does not consider itself a sponsor in the typical sense. The company’s representatives said this distinction is now reflected in updated online material.
Controversy Linked to Randa Abdel-Fattah’s Inclusion
The firm’s move follows the decision by the festival to include Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah in two sessions at the May event. Abdel-Fattah has become a polarising figure in Australia’s cultural landscape after being disinvited from the 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week earlier this year amid backlash over her social media comments on Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Festival organisers confirmed Abdel-Fattah’s participation well in advance of the Adelaide controversy, but her inclusion has continued to draw criticism from some political leaders and community groups who argue that her remarks have crossed lines of cultural sensitivity. Supporters of Abdel-Fattah, however, defend her right to address audiences and stress the importance of diverse and challenging voices in literary spaces.
KPMG’s Statement and Position
In its statement to media, KPMG stressed that it does not define the audit work it performs for the festival as a partnership that implies endorsement of programming decisions. The firm noted it has provided auditing services to the writers’ festival at a discounted rate since 2023 but that it was previously comfortable with being described as a partner on the website. This, the company said, has now changed.
KPMG declined to explicitly state whether the appointment of Abdel-Fattah influenced its request, but acknowledged that it had received external concerns, prompting careful review of how its name and role were presented publicly.
Festival Response and Defence of Editorial Independence
The Sydney Writers’ Festival responded that the updated listing now accurately reflects KPMG’s relationship with the event. Festival officials reiterated their gratitude to all supporters and partners beyond KPMG, underlining the diversity of organisations contributing to the event.
Festival CEO Brooke Webb and artistic director Ann Mossop have previously defended the inclusion of Abdel-Fattah, stating that a writers’ festival should be a space where varied perspectives — including those that generate debate — can be aired. They described the decision as consistent with the festival’s commitment to freedom of expression and “nuanced conversation” on complex issues.
Public and Political Reactions Intensify
Reactions to KPMG’s move and the wider debate over cultural programming have been sharply divided. Some commentators and political figures — including New South Wales Premier Chris Minns — have expressed reservations about Abdel-Fattah’s involvement in literary events, describing her inclusion as contentious amid recent social sensitivities. Others, including arts advocates, have emphasised the need to safeguard free speech and resist calls for cancellations that could stifle open dialogue.
The controversy follows similar disputes in Australian literary circles earlier this year, notably the Adelaide Writers’ Week cancellation, which arose after the removal of Abdel-Fattah from that program triggered author boycotts and institutional upheaval.
Corporate Backlash Beyond KPMG
Reports suggest that KPMG is not alone in distancing itself from events amid controversies over speaker selections. Other organisations have reportedly requested their names or logos be removed from cultural and charity event websites in recent weeks, reflecting heightened corporate sensitivity to reputational risks tied to public debates over political and social issues.
This trend underscores the broader challenges facing arts organisations as they navigate sponsorship, public funding, community expectations and editorial independence. Some industry figures warn that aggressive corporate withdrawal from cultural events could chill creative expression, while others argue that sponsors have a right to manage their affiliations based on corporate values and risk assessments.
Debate Continues Over Arts, Sponsorship and Free Expression
The KPMG incident has catalysed a wider discussion in Australian cultural and business communities about the intersection of art, politics and corporate involvement. Critics of the request argue that disengagement over programming choices represents a form of corporate censorship, potentially setting a precedent for future clashes between artistic independence and sponsor interests. Supporters of KPMG’s decision, by contrast, say companies must be mindful of the public stances and controversies associated with events they are linked to, even tangentially.
As the Sydney Writers’ Festival prepares for its 2026 edition in May, organisers and cultural commentators alike will be watching how these tensions evolve and what impact they may have on the event’s attendance, partnerships and reputation within Australia’s vibrant literary scene.
7 years in the field, from local radio to digital newsrooms. Loves chasing the stories that matter to everyday Aussies – whether it’s climate, cost of living or the next big thing in tech.
