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The fallout from this year’s Adelaide Writers’ Week debacle has reignited fierce debate about political interference in the arts and about who gets to speak in Australia’s cultural spaces. After the invitation to Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah was withdrawn, 180 writers pulled out in protest. The festival was eventually cancelled and Adelaide Festival has since apologised for excluding the author from Writers’ Week, admitting it had failed to uphold artistic freedom. The whole saga raises urgent questions about how decisions are being made – by governments, by boards, and by those in charge of our institutions. Today, we’re bringing you a story from last year that exposed one of the initial fault lines in cultural administration. It’s about artist Khaled Sabsabi, who was dropped from representing Australia at the Venice Biennale after political pressure. Then, as the backlash intensified, Sabsabi was reinstated. It’s an episode that feels more relevant than ever. It features chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow, speaking with Ruby Jones. This episode originally aired in February last year. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow Photo: Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino in Granville. Photo: Anna KuceraSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday, parliament will return early to debate new laws to deal with hate speech and gun ownership. The legislation has been drafted in a hurry – under mounting pressure in the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack. But support for the bill has already fractured. The Coalition says it goes too far. The Greens say it doesn’t go far enough. Both want more time to consider the changes. The debate over what is and isn’t hate is unfolding at a time of deep political division with consequences not just for parliament, but for Australia’s cultural institutions. Today, CEO of Cheek Media and host of the Big Small Talk podcast, Hannah Ferguson, on the politics of hate speech and how a fight over free expression spilled into the arts. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: CEO of Cheek Media and host of the Big Small Talk podcast, Hannah Ferguson Photo: SuppliedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Directly after Donald Trump intervened in Venezuela, capturing president Nicolas Maduro and laying claim to the country’s oil industry, the US President set his sights on Greenland. Trump claims America “needs” Greenland for national security, and has asked his military chiefs to draw up plans to invade if neccessary. Meanwhile, a meeting between US Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt ended in a stalemate – with Trump doubling down, and Denmark asking for European back-up. Today, defence editor at The Economist Shashank Joshi, on the real reason Trump wants Greenland, and how his plan could change the world. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Defence editor at The Economist Shashank Joshi Photo: EPA/THOMAS TRAASDAHL DENMARKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the world about to see the United States intervene in another country – this time, Iran? Since late December, Iran has been rocked by mass protests, and the government has responded with force. The internet has been cut for days at a time, making it difficult to verify what’s happening on the ground. Reports suggest a death toll in the thousands, with even larger numbers of protesters detained. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has been publicly encouraging protesters and declaring that “help is on the way”. Today, Iranian-born analyst and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Trita Parsi, on a regime fighting for survival – and on what Trump’s threats could mean for the entire Middle East. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Iranian-born analyst and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Trita Parsi. Photo: AP Photo/Kin CheungSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adelaide Writers’ Week has been cancelled after the removal of Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah sparked a mass boycott of the event by more than 100 writers who were programmed to attend, as well as the resignation of the festival’s director. In a statement on Tuesday, Adelaide Festival apologised to Abdel-Fattah, but rather than reinstating her, they announced that Australia’s premier free literary event would not go ahead – and almost all remaining board members would stand down. The board described the cancellation as a “deeply regrettable outcome”. Today, InDaily journalist Helen Karakulak on questions of political influence – and what the cancellation means for the future of the arts. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: InDaily journalist Helen Karakulak Background reading: https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/life/entertainment/books/2026/01/13/adelaide-writers-week-cancelled Photo: PR ImageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.