Wednesday 24th June 2026
(For adults)
Acacia House follows the personal and professional experiences of three women from Ireland, South Africa and South Australia who nurse at a hospice in Perth. The beautifully written story immerses the reader in the nurses’ experiences both within and beyond the hospice - from outback South Australia to a Buddhist retreat in Ireland, from camping in Western Australia’s Kimberley to witnessing South African poverty, from walking the Bibbulmun track to political protests in Perth. We see how caring for those at the end of life also entails care for the living, and we witness the impact on relationships in the nurses’ personal lives. Acacia House was shortlisted for the TAG Hungerford Award and the Western Australian Premier’s Book Award,
Reviewing the novel, UWA Philosophy Professor Stewart Candlish notes that its carefully structured narrative tells a touching story, reveals a world unknown to most of us, and shows us how it is possible to be ‘better than we are’. In her discussion of the novel, Vivien will explore ways in which the narrative might support the idea of becoming ‘better than we are’.
Vivien donates all proceeds from sales of the novel, Acacia House, to the proposed Kindlewood Hospice in Yanchep.
Books will be available for purchase on the day.
Bookings are essential via Humanitix. Light refreshments will be available. You are encouraged to bring your own cup for tea/coffee or water.
Please let us know if you have any access requirements.
About Vivien Stuart: Vivien Stuart was a palliative care nurse at the Cancer Foundation Cottage Hospice in Shenton Park in 1990s. Years of simultaneous and subsequent university study, including research in South Africa and Ireland, culminated in a PhD in creative writing at The University of Western Australia. Her successful doctoral thesis is at the origin of the novel, Acacia House.