Australian historical author JJ Carpenter will launch her latest book The Haunting of Kenmore Asylum, a psychological horror at Mount Gambier Library on Saturday 19 July at 11:00am at Mount Gambier Library.
Inspired by true events and factual accounts of life at Kenmore Asylum in New South Wales, the abandoned hospital has been described as one of Australia's most haunted places.
"Haunted tales are popular with readers, transforming ordinary places into sites of intrigue, leaving the reader wanting more," City of Mount Gambier Community Development Coordinator Kristi Brooks said.
Opened in 1895, the once grand hospital was one of the first facilities of its kind in Australia, accommodating approximately 140 patients. It quickly became notorious for its questionable practices, with patients being admitted after being formally declared of 'unsound mind' for conditions and characteristics such as postnatal depression, intellectual disabilities, or homosexuality.
The hospital is said to have experienced complex and unexplained deaths as well as widespread outbreaks, events widely believed to be the source of its notorious hauntings.
The Haunting of Kenmore Asylum is set across three separate timelines. The story follows Nurse Harriet in 1910s who meets a troubled and violent patient who inspires many a ghost story, Nurse Bonnie in 1950s, a trainee who experiences the hauntings and is out to find answers in and YouTube ghost hunters Aiden and Devin in the 2020s who are out to seek fame and fortune exploring the ruins of the infamous haunted asylum.
"JJ has masterfully woven together the three timelines, a flawless blend of horror with historic fiction, whilst still respectfully acknowledging the sad events that took place at the asylum," Kristi Brooks said.
The event is free with limited seats and bookings filling fast. To book your seat contact Mount Gambier Library on (08) 8721 2540 or online at www.mountgambier.sa.gov.au/Library under 'Programs and Events'.
