A Single Witness by Christine Balint
Fri, 01 May
|Readings Hawthorn
We are delighted to have Toni Jordan host the launch of Christine Balint's A Single Witness.
Time & Location
01 May 2026, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Readings Hawthorn, 687 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia
About the event
It is 1756. In a mountain village outside Venice, 13-year-old Anna Maria Bonon lives with her grandmother and her father, Giacomo. Giacomo is one of the forestieri (outsiders) in the community. When he is arrested for attempted murder, Anna Maria discovers her voice and the courage to tell her story. She walks 29 kilometres to Vicenza and accuses him of rape. The Council of Ten arrive from Venice to investigate.
Challenged by her grandmother and the priest, Anna Maria is torn between loyalty to her elders and telling her truth. Drawing closely on original trial documents from the Venetian archives, prize-winning novelist Christine Balint brings to life a court case unique for its time, with important echoes to the present day.
Free, but bookings are essential.