Randa Abdel-Fattah’s novel *Discipline* has been shortlisted for the 2026 Miles Franklin Literary Award, Australia’s most prestigious prize recognizing novels of high literary merit that portray Australian life. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Perpetual and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund alongside five other shortlisted works.
Set against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, *Discipline* has stirred significant controversy due to Abdel-Fattah’s outspoken activism and political views. Abdel-Fattah, an academic and advocate for a free Palestine who endorses the slogan “from the river to the sea,” has been at the center of debates over freedom of speech in Australia. Earlier this year, her planned participation in Adelaide Writers' Week was canceled following the Bondi mosque shooting, a decision that prompted hundreds of writers to withdraw from the event in protest. The situation led to the resignation of the festival’s artistic director, Louise Adler, and the eventual collapse of the Adelaide Festival’s free literary program.
Further controversy arose when it was revealed that Abdel-Fattah had previously participated in campaigns to silence Jewish writers, including Thomas Friedman of The New York Times. This prompted board member Tony Berg to resign from the Adelaide Festival, citing hypocrisy within the organisation. Despite this, Abdel-Fattah has since appeared at sold-out literary events in Newcastle and Sydney, describing the backlash she faced as a “silencing” campaign by what she terms the Israel lobby.
The Miles Franklin judges commended Abdel-Fattah’s novel for its nuanced exploration of political and social divisions in Australia following the October 2023 attacks in Israel and subsequent conflict in Palestine. The panel praised the book for personalizing these faultlines within the Australian context.
The 2026 judging panel is chaired by Richard Neville, Mitchell Librarian of the State Library of New South Wales, and includes literary scholars Jumana Bayeh, Mridula Nath Chakraborty, Tony Hughes-d’Aeth, and Maggie Nolan. Bayeh recused herself from discussions regarding *Discipline* due to her professional and personal connections with Abdel-Fattah and shared views on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
A spokesperson for the Miles Franklin Award stated that an author’s public profile, political beliefs, or advocacy activities are not part of the award’s eligibility or judging criteria. Each shortlisted author will receive $5,000, with the overall winner to be awarded $60,000 at the ceremony in Sydney on August 5, 2026.
Abdel-Fattah, an ARC Future Fellow at Macquarie University, focuses her research on Islamophobia, race, Palestine, the war on terror, youth identities, and social movement activism. Her academic work has been supported by more than one million dollars in government grants.
The other shortlisted novels for this year’s Miles Franklin Award are *First Name Second Name* by Steve MinOn, *My Heart At Evening* by Konrad Muller, *Fierceland* by Omar Musa, *Little World* by Josephine Rowe, and *You Must Remember This* by Sean Wilson. The judges noted that the shortlist collectively addresses some of the most challenging and urgent questions confronting contemporary Australia through diverse narrative voices.