Scribes and their word swords…
…are quite the feared species these days. Actually, scratch that. Writers, with a ferocity of courage and views to match, have always struck fear in the hearts of folks allergic to truth-telling – or divisive rhetoric.
Whether it’s spitting facts or disrupting ‘em, it’s a wordsmith’s obligation to tell it like it is – or, at the very least, how they may want it to be.
This week a writers festival flopped after 180 writers called bullsh**t on the decision to oust a fellow author from the event because of her views. The BBC summarises the festival implosion beautifully here.
But this Phylosophy isn’t about delving into the politics behind the writer’s clumsy removal or the subsequent quasi-apology that she received along with an invitation to attend the 2027 Festival instead (!).
The focus here is on what the festival fracas did so well. In just a matter of days it managed to detonate an entire echo chamber of small minds who had the temerity to believe they were better, smarter, wiser than a bunch of storytellers, basically.
I have intentionally left out the name of the author and festival here. Not because I want to be mysterious. If you know anything about Australian current affairs, you’ll know who and what I’m talking about.
I’ve stripped back the details to reveal how unreal the whole thing was;
A high-profile arts festival kicks out a writer because they didn’t agree with her views.
This should’ve been fiction not non.
© Phyllis Foundis 2026