Oceanic in its rhythms and understanding, brilliant in its use of language and image, moving in its largeness of spirit, compelling in its narrative scope and style, Benang is a novel of celebration and lament, of beginning and return, of obliteration and recovery, of silencing and of powerful utterance. Both tentative and daring, it speaks to the present and a possible future through stories, dreams, rhythms, songs, images and documents mobilised from the incompletely acknowledged and still dynamic past.
Kim Scott is a descendant of people living along the south coast of Western Australia prior to colonisation, and is proud to be one among those who call themselves Noongar. He began writing for publication when he became a teacher of English. He is currently based at Curtin University in Western Australia as Professor of Writing, in the School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts.
"Benang is brilliant. It is a mature, complex, sweeping historical novel which will remind people of Rushdie, Carey and Grenville at their best. This is an absolute page turner and in the end we are left with a sense of joy and gratitude that such stories are still possible that the silence has been broken." -- Sydney Morning Herald
"
Benang soars to the level of superb storytelling with an emotional punch to the guts, not unlike Toni Morrisons Beloved." -- Weekend Australian
"Haunting and poignant, Benang pierces the heart even as it seeks to lance the savage bleeding of the wounds of white settlement in Australia." -- Canberra Times
Kate Challis RAKA Award (Winner 2001). Miles Franklin Award (Winner 2000). Queensland Premiers Literary Award (Shortlisted 2000). Tasmania Pacific Literary Award (Shortlisted 2001). Dublin IMPAC Literary Award (Longlisted 2000). Western Australian Premiers Book Award Fiction Prize (Winner 1999)
