NewSouth is excited to announce the acquisition of world rights to When Words Fail Us: Truth beyond time, the powerful new work by acclaimed author and broadcaster Stan Grant, through leading literary agent Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown.
In this deeply reflective and timely book, Stan Grant – one of Australia’s most prominent voices on identity, nationhood and belonging – explores the fragility of language and the profound importance of listening and silence in an age of distracted, angry noise and disembodied algorithms.
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?"
Executive Publisher Elspeth Menzies says, ‘This exceptional, poignant book is a philosophical masterclass from Stan Grant. He draws on everyone from Plato to Simone Weil to Radiohead to reflect on how we struggle to speak to one another today.’
A proud Wiradjuri man, Grant is the Vice Chancellor’s Chair of Australian/Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University and former ABC Global Affairs and Indigenous Affairs Analyst. He is the award-winning, bestselling author of Talking to My Country, The Queen is Dead, and Australia Day.
When Words Fail Us is an essential book for our times – a meditation on truth beyond time, and an invitation to rediscover the grace of silence.
When Words Fail Us will be published by NewSouth Publishing in May 2026.
