Mr Scourfield, perhaps best known as The West Australian’s travel editor, is also a highly-regarded author whose first novel, Other Country, was short listed in the Commonwealth Writers Prize. The novel, set in the Top End to which Stephen has travelled to more than 100 times in the past 20 years, follows the story of two brothers and their struggle to overcome the legacy of their brutal father.

The writer spoke about the characters’ journey from boys into manhood and of his extensive travel and meetings with all kinds of people on their own trajectories. He urged the boys to be sensitive to what is going on around them and of the importance of having an ethic, core or value that they believe in.

Some of Mr Scourfield’s other published works include a non-fiction book, Travel Etcetera: The World on Another Plane, and a photographic book, Western Australia: An Untamed View. He is also a recipient of a United Nations Media Award.

The talk was presented by the Centre for Ethics.