The Red Witch — a biography by Nathan Hobby

Our good friend Nathan Hobby, local historian and writer, has recently published The Red Witch: a biography of Katharine Susannah Prichard, and we will be celebrating by launching the book right here at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers' Centre on Saturday 28 May 2022.

Although our launch event is currently sold out we will be hosting an author talk with Nathan Hobby for Writing WA's 2022 Love to Read Local week. Nathan will be joined by the Chairperson of the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers' Centre, Elizabeth Lewis, to talk through all the highlights (and the surprises and challenges) of writing the biography. There will also be time for a Q&A with Nathan at the end.

The KSP Foundation will also be giving away a free KSP Writers' Centre one-year membership — to be in the chance to win, just register and attend the event, and we will contact you by email if you win. If you are already a member, then your membership will be extended by one year!

About the book

Through meticulous archival research and historical detective work, Nathan Hobby reveals many unknown aspects of Prichard's life, including the likely identity of the mysterious lover who influenced her deeply in her twenties, her withdrawal from politics during her remarkable five-year literary peak and an intimate friendship with poet Hugh McCrae. Lively and detailed, The Red Witch is a gripping narrative alert to the drama and tragedy of Prichard's remarkable life.

“A revealing account of Prichard’s thrilling life and a sensitive tribute to one of literary Australia’s most curious founding figures... Anyone who still believes Australian literature only began mid-20th century with male figures such as Patrick White needs to read this informative and engrossing work.” Books & Publishing.

You can purchase our copy of the book here.

About the author

Nathan Hobby is a Perth author, librarian and honorary research fellow at the University of Western Australia. His novel The Fur (Fremantle Press 2004) won the TAG Hungerford Award. He blogs at nathanhobby.com.

To keep up to date on all KSP events visit our website.

The author talk with Nathan Hobby event is brought to you courtesy of Love to Read Local Week and the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, with thanks to Writing WA. The KSP Writers' Centre is primarily funded by the Shire of Mundaring, which makes free community events like our book launch possible. We gratefully thank the Shire for their support.