Our annual Katharine's Birthday party in December is a free open day event welcoming people from the WA community to visit the KSP Writers' Centre! Guests can explore the various services and activities that the Centre offers, take a tour of the heritage property, enjoy prose and poetry performances, and have a cup of tea, coffee or some nibbles from the 'help yourself' KSP Café for a gold coin donation.

​

First built in 1910, KSP Writers' Centre at 11 Old York Road was formerly the home of successful novelist Katharine Susannah Prichard and her husband Captain Hugo Throssell VC, who was the first WA soldier to win a Victoria Cross in World War I. Prichard herself was the first Australian author to gain international recognition by winning the Hodder and Stoughton Literature Prize in 1915. Over the next fifty years, her most successful works were completed at her Greenmount home, now known as the KSP Writers’ Centre, in a beautiful writing studio built by her ANZAC hero husband.

 

Today the heritage-listed Centre is maintained and run by a dedicated group of volunteers with the united vision to support writers of all ages and abilities. This is achieved with the long-term financial support of the Shire of Mundaring, and KSP's community of members, Friends of Katharine, and other funding bodies. 

​

It is a fascinating property with stories hiding in every shadow - stories already written, including published works and tales of history, as well as stories in progress from our community of writing group members and Writers-in-Residence, and, finally, inspiration for stories yet to come, waiting for visitors to take home.