The meaning behind the name ‘Caruso’ and our new Caruso Writer-in-Residence Program is close to the heart of our organisation’s namesake, Katharine Susannah Prichard.

The KSP Writers’ Centre, located at Katharine’s former home at 11 Old York Road in Greenmount, Perth, is state heritage-listed and includes many special original features that were loved by Katharine over her fifty years living here in the space. Highlights include her 1930s workroom, verandahs featuring beautifully crafted local stone pillars and views over the Perth skyline, Metters stovetop, loquat and olive trees, long winding plumbago hedge, wisteria vines, geranium and lavender bushes, bee hives hiding in gum trees, quendas scurrying through weeds, and ever-present birdsong.

In her last few years of life, Katharine wrote: ‘I find pleasure in the simple things these days. A vase I’ve just arranged as a poem to autumn with yellow leaves and rose berries.’ She was not only an accomplished author, but a hardworking green thumb and lifelong advocate for peace. According to Nathan Hobby, as stated in his biography of Katharine, The Red Witch (2022, Melbourne University Publishing), ‘She took delight in her garden … and made friends with two magpies she called Caruso and Greedy, feeding them every day, and stopping to listen to their “repertoire”.’

Magpies are somewhat of a mascot at the KSP Writers’ Centre and our team like to think of them as direct descendants of Caruso and Greedy. Katharine spoke to Caruso when she felt lonely – he offered companionship, and joyful musical warbling. We hope that our resident magpies today similarly offer all our visitors a friendly presence while staying at the Centre.

This pilot program and its debut cohort of Caruso Writers-in-Residence represents a diverse flock of new voices. Much like birds that soar to great heights—such as Katharine’s beloved Caruso and Greedy—these writers, with their diverse backgrounds, offer unique perspectives that deserve to be heard, seen, and cherished for the value they bring to our collective literary culture.

 

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