When Words Fail Us Truth Beyond Time

I am out of words at home. I have grown bored with my language; bored with my voice; bored with my writing. My words labour under Australia’ s history. The land itself, as much as I love it, bears down hard.Now, in another place, I am finding lighter words. At times, I may not need to speak at all. I smile; I nod. I seek permission to speak. Please, do you mind? Will you allow me?In an important book for our times, Stan Grant — one of Australia’ s most prominent writers about identity, nationhood and belonging — reflects on how we struggle to speak to one another today, and the importance of listening, silence and philosophy, from Plato to Simone Weil to Radiohead.

A proud Wiradjuri man, Stan Grant is the Vice Chancellor’ s Chair of Australian/Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University. He was formerly ABC’ s Global Affairs and Indigenous Affairs Analyst. He is the award-winning and bestselling author of several books, including Talking to My Country, The Queen is Dead and Australia Day.