On Wednesday 7 August 2024, Vice President and Executive Dean, Professor Peter Monteath hosted a celebration and commemoration for the Dr Ruth Starke Creative Writing Prize and for the woman who inspired it.
The cocktail event on Level 14 of Flinders University’s City Campus brought together Dr Starke’s daughters, Miranda and Petra Starke, who established the prize in honour of their mother, with creative writing community friends and former colleagues who supported the award, and current Flinders Creative Writing staff and students.
Guests celebrated Dr Ruth Starke, a Flinders alumna and celebrated author, who died in 2022 in the prime of her writing career.
Paige Johnstone was announced as the inaugural winner of the Dr Ruth Starke Creative Writing Prize and joined the event via a video message. The award was presented to Paige’s father and brother.
