This issue of the 'Zeitschrift für Australienstudien Australian Studies Journal' is unusual in the journal's history in more than one sense. First and foremost it is unique in its dedication to an exceptionally passionate scholar and compassionate human being, a pre-eminent feminist critic, a superior life writing scholar and human rights expert in Australian academia with a global reach. In honor of Kay Schaffer's excellent achievements this issue assembles essays by colleagues and friends from Australia, the United States of America and Germany, who share her interests and were inspired by her work and her personality. While all essays connect with one of Kay's key areas of research, they are not limited thematically to an Australian context, expanding the geographical scope of the journal to explore links between different areas of research beyond disciplinary boundariesThis work can be downloaded as open-access at the ASJ ZfA website: asj.australienstudien.org