Albany raised author Kim Scott a ‘true artist and literary activist’ honoured to join WA Writers Hall of Fame

Acclaimed WA author Kim Scott has been recognised as one of the State’s great writers, joining the WA Writers Hall of Fame last week. The judging panel said Scott’s work was “acclaimed locally, nationally and internationally”. The panel said his writing was “a shining example of how WA stories can create opportunities to learn about our shared past”. A Noongar man who grew up in Albany, Scott’s research and writing have helped return Indigenous oral histories to communities. He said he was honoured to be inducted into the hall of fame. “I’m reassured, validated and flattered to be in that company,” he said. “There are a number of people there who have been very encouraging early on in my career.” Raised in Albany, Scott said the Great Southern region had inspired his writing. “Certainly all my writing is informed by Albany and the south coast and by my own experiences, family and friends and a lot by history,” he said. “I come back pretty often. “My wife teaches in Denmark so that’s part of the attraction, I should emphatically say, so I’m in Albany a fair bit of the time.” The former high school English teacher said Noongar heritage should be important to all Australians. “It’s personal, I suppose. On one level I think of all the silences in my family history which comes out of the trauma or hostile part of our shared history, so it’s very important,” she said. Awards judge Jane Fraser described Scott as a true artist and literary activist. “His books cross boundaries, reaching readers from all backgrounds both at home and overseas,” he said. Scott is a two-time winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the 2012 Western Australian of the year.