Taboo by Kim Scott has been shortlisted for a 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Award in the Fiction category.
The Awards play an important role in supporting a national appreciation of Australian literature and provide acknowledgement and recognition for authors and illustrators.
The comments from the judges were:
In his ambitious third novel, Taboo, Kim Scott attempts a fictional act of reconciliation on West Australian land scarred by a historic massacre of Indigenous people. Members of the Noongar community return to honour the ghosts of their dead ancestors and to meet land owners who may still wish them ill. At the centre of the story Tilly, a teen-age girl, seeks to understand her complicated heritage. Scott writes with urgency about his people’s need to reclaim their land, history and language while recognising their place in contemporary Australia. The novel is a skillful blend of fable and thriller, Dreamtime magic and Canterbury Tales road trip. Goodwill and brutality wrestle for dominance among a band of vivid and sometimes comic individuals who represent the complexity of human nature. Taboo is a haunting, original and important contribution to Australian literature.
Congratulations, Kim, we’re delighted for you!
Get your copy:
[supapress id=”2071″ title=”Taboo”]