In memory of doctor and author Kath O’Connor

Hush Foundation, Media Release, 27 February 2024

The Hush Foundation, whose mission is to transform healthcare cultures with kindness and the arts, is delighted to launch its inaugural Kindness in Healthcare Writing Prize, in memory of the late author and doctor Kath O’Connor.

Kath was a General Practitioner in Central Victoria and had just finished the second draft of her beautifully crafted novel, Inheritance (Affirm Press, 2023) when she died of Ovarian Cancer in 2019 at the age of 48.

Kath’s colleagues at Goldfields Medical Group in Castlemaine wanted to honour her memory, her love of writing and her ethos of kindness in both her professional and personal life.

They reached out to the Hush Foundation offering generous prize money, and seeking the organisation’s support to host a writing prize in Kath’s memory.

Who amongst us hasn’t been touched by an act of kindness in healthcare? In some instances, a kind word, smile or act of thoughtfulness can mean almost as much as the treatment when we find ourselves in positions of vulnerability.

Kindness can mean a lot also to the staff delivering the care in often stressful conditions.

The Hush Foundation is inviting you to get creative and share your stories of kindness in healthcare. 

Entries are invited from anyone who has worked in or received care in our health and aged and other care systems – including patients, clients, families and staff. 

Entries of up to 1000 words must respond to the theme: “kindness in healthcare,” may be of fiction, non-fiction or poetry and must be original, unpublished works. 

The winning entry will receive a cash prize of $650, with the second prize being $350.

A selection of the best entries will be published in the Hush Foundation’s Kindness Anthology #2 and shared with healthcare audiences around the world.

Entries will be judged by Ruby Ashby-Orr, Commissioning Editor Affirm Press (Kath’s publishers), by acclaimed Australian novelist Inga Simpson, and by Author-GP-writing mentor Dr Hilton Koppe. 

Judge, author GP and writing mentor Dr Hilton Koppe has generously donated an online writing workshop to which the top 10 short-listed writers will be invited.

For more information including competition guidelines, see: www.hush.org.au/hush-writers-prize-2024 or e-mail info@hush.org.au. 

Entries close 31 March 2024.