On 3 December 2017, A. R. Levett was awarded first prize in the KSP Memoir Awards 2017 for his memoir, The Visit. The memoir is a powerful piece that deals with confronting mental illness in the family and oneself. It also offers insight into the state of mental health treatment in W.A. You can read a copy of it here.

Competition judge, Dr Rachel Robertson, had this to say about 'The Visit':
"The Visit by Andrew Levett, WA is the Winner! As it happens, The Visit also explores a father-child relationship
within a residential care setting, though in a different context. The narrator here visits his father in a mental health facility, confronted both by the environment and by seeing his dad so unwell. This is an excellent piece of memoir, establishing setting and character very effectively and giving us access to the narrator’s feelings in highly economical ways. The dialogue is particularly well written. This work challenges us to think about things we may not want to consider. It addresses an important and very topical issue for our time in a powerful way." You can read Dr Robertson's full judge's report here.

A. R. Levett would like to thank Barbara Turner-Vesselago for prompting him to write the memoir, as well as Mardi May and the KSP Past Tense Group for helping him edit it down from over 1,500 words. He would also like to thank  Tabetha Rogers Beggs, Lisa A. Wolstenholme, and Helen Doran-Wu for helping him rework a very purple version of 'The Visit'.

The KSP Memoir Awards 2017 featured a bevy of great memoirs. A. R. Levett would like to congratulate fellow winners K. W. George, Ashleigh Hardcastle, Rachelle Rechichi, and Catherine Johnstone. For more information about the KSP Memoir Awards 2017 or competition winners, please visit the KSP website. A. R. Levett recommends reading the memoir of the other winners.

As part of his residency at the Fellowship of Australian Writers Western Australia (FAWWA), A. R. Levett raffled off three vouchers for his Story Mentoring services. The raffle raised over $80, which A. R. Levett generously donated to FAWWA.

The raffle was drawn on 21 November 2017 during the Write Night session and the winners are:

1st Place (3,000 word Revision): Thomas Sunman
2nd Place (7,000 word Copy Edit): Lynne Deperas
3rd Place (10,000 word Review): Bruce Willett

Congratulations to all three winners. FAWWA and A. R. Levett will be in contact with you shortly to organise sending you your vouchers.

Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket and thank you to Yeeda and Colin at FAWWA for helping organise the raffle. A. R. Levett hopes that the funds will help the centre.

The KSP Writers' Centre has just informed A. R. Levett that he has been short-listed for his memoir vignette, 'The Visit', in the KSP Memoir Competition. The memoir is a powerful piece that deals with confronting mental illness in the family and oneself. It also offers insight into the state of mental health treatment in W.A.

Competition judge, Rachel Robertson, will read her report and announce the winners at Katharine's birthday from 2.15pm on Sunday 3 December 2017. Come along to the event to support A. R. Levett and the other short-listed authors, listen to readings of their stories, as well as enjoy lunch and the festivities provided by the KSP Writers' Centre.

Fingers crossed.