Randa Abdel-Fattah's Discipline is a searing critique of Western liberalism and its complicity with the enduring colonial violence of Zionism. The novel, first published in Australia in 2025, follows a cast of Arab Muslim characters working in media and educational institutions who are forced to choose between conflict and compromise with the mainstream colonial culture. Those same institutions - the media, literary festivals, higher education establishments - have repeatedly sought to discipline Abdel-Fattah in real life, attempting to silence her through smear campaigns and cancellations.

We are proud to welcome Randa Abdel-Fattah to London to mark the UK launch of Discipline, where she will be in conversation with Omar Robert Hamilton. 

Subscribers to the PalFest Bookshelf received the Australian edition of Discipline in December 2025. Subscribe now to receive great new books on Palestine, direct to your door.

Randa Abdel-Fattah is the Australian-Palestinian author of Discipline . She is the award-winning author of twelve books for children and young adults, which have been translated into over thirteen languages and recognized on numerous shortlists and longlists, including the Australian Book of the Year Award. Discipline marks her brilliant, blistering debut adult novel.

Praise for Discipline:

"For those who seek to sincerely understand the endless obstacles one must face in the body of an Arab, a Palestinian, a Muslim; Discipline is the place to begin."
— Michael Mohammed Ahmad

"With visceral detail, Randa Abdel-Fattah captures the pangs of survivor guilt and rage and the cost of speaking out against the status quo."
— The Guardian

"Razor sharp, uncompromising and bitingly funny - a brilliant combination."
— Omar Robert Hamilton

"Discipline is a novel that reminds us that each story is a shared story, demanding our attention. Discipline is an invitation to be in this world together."
— Tony Birch