After a well-earned break, Philo Bistro is back with Marie & Marie, a bilingual poetry collection brought to life by Adrienne Eberhard, poet coming from Hobart, and Catherine de Saint Phalle, novelist and translator visiting from Melbourne.
Both will be with us for this special evening. Marie & Marie imagines an exchange between two remarkable women: Marie-Antoinette, the last Queen of France, and Marie-Louise Girardin, her contemporary from Versailles who, disguised as a man, joined d’Entrecasteaux’s expedition to Tasmanian waters during the French Revolution.
The evening will move between poetry and history, because some things can’t be said in prose alone, and because Marie-Louise Girardin’s story deserves to be heard.
The book brings the two together in a simple, powerful way, giving both facts and feeling. Expect a bilingual reading, some historical context, a conversation and Q&A with the artists, and, of course, the glass of wine that makes Philo Bistro what it is.
Olivier Vojetta is a French author, literary critic, and creative strategy consultant based in Sydney. A former finance professional, he now advises senior executives and writes novels exploring themes of escape and transformation. His contribution to cultural dialogue through Philo Bistro was recognised with the 2024 French Australian Excellence Award in Arts and Culture (Prix Yves Hernot).
