CEO Jane Fraser on Kim Scott’s literary contribution to Western Australia, which saw him being inducted into the Western Australian Writers Hall of Fame last Friday evening

Hello and welcome to August.

What a month it’s been! Congratulations to our Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards winners and shortlisted authors: Fiona Burrows, Amanda Curtin, Rafeif Ismail, Kathryn Lefroy, Caitlin Maling, Meg McKinlay, Helen Milroy, Holden Sheppard and Ellen van Neerven. We are so proud of you all.

We are also delighted to see acclaimed Fremantle Press author Kim Scott inducted into the Western Australian Writers Hall of Fame for his outstanding literary contribution.

A Professor of Writing at Curtin University and twice winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, Kim is widely known for his compelling literary fiction. His debut novel, True Country (1993), and his second novel, Benang (1999), were both published by Fremantle Press to critical acclaim. Benang won a slew of prizes, including the Western Australian Premier’s Book Award, the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the RAKA Kate Challis Award. Kim’s subsequent novels, That Deadman Dance (2010) and Taboo (2017), met with equal success and his work has been translated and published internationally.

Kim’s literary contribution extends well beyond fiction. In Kayang & Me (2005, republished 2013), an oral history co-authored with Wirlomin Noongar elder Hazel Brown, Kim and Hazel share a powerful story of Indigenous identity, community and belonging. Kim has published children’s books, poetry, essays, articles and criticism (his article ‘A path away from alienation’ is a must-read). His generous, original and determined commentary highlights the significance of Australia’s rich First Nations legacies, and continues to shed light on our state’s – and nation’s – essential path to reconciliation.

A member of the Noongar community, Kim’s contribution to our state goes well beyond his written legacy, too. Once a secondary school teacher, Kim has worked extensively in Indigenous education and the arts, including as coordinator of Curtin University’s Indigenous Enabling Course and Aboriginal Bridging Course, and through his ongoing cultural recovery work with the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project. He has been awarded a Centenary Medal and was 2012 Western Australian of the Year.

The team at Fremantle Press congratulates Kim, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame on 7 August as part of the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards ceremony.

A special hardback edition of Benang is available in the Fremantle Press Treasures series – special editions of much-loved Australian stories that will be a treasure for those who know them and a treat for new readers.

Jane