Abstract
'At the end of October 2023, Kim Scott travelled to the Adelaide to speak at the Stories from the South Book Club, a public event held at Dymocks, Rundle Mall that focused on his most recent novel, Taboo (2017). I chaired the evening's conversations, in which featured dialogue with Professor Stephen Muecke, before opening the floor to a discussion with the audience. As along-time admirer of Scott's work and a passionate scholar of Australian literature, I sat down with Kim in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens the day before, where we conducted an interview The South — both the context of the Global South and the embeddedness of Scott's writing along the south coast of Western Australia — offered an entry point into our dialogue. His driving role in the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project further deepened the scope of our conversation and its relation to place. However, the interview also presented an important opportunity to reflect on Kim's impressive body of work, with the 30th anniversary of his debut novel. True Country (1993), and the approaching 25th anniversary of his seminal Benang (0999). which we discuss in some detail. Finally, the failure of the referendum — which Kim characterises as "a little chink of an opportunity" sat so fresh in the mind, inevitably entered our conversation, as Kim — always reasoned and considered- offers a voice which I think we should all sit up and listen to.' (Introduction)
