Untie the knot: The author who wants to end all marriages

BEST-SELLING author and feminist commentator, Clementine Ford, will discuss her controversial new book I Don’t: The Case Against Marriage at Queenscliff Town Hall this month.

During the conversation she will present her case against marriage for the modern woman and outline how the institution is need of an overhaul and what a future of alternative relationship-building could look like in a post-marriage world.

“I want this book to end marriages. But more importantly, I want it to prevent marriages,” Ford writes.

“Women are allowed to aspire to more than what we’ve been told we should want in order to be happy.

“Let yourself have a bigger dream than becoming the supporting role in someone else’s story.”

The pop-up event forms part of the Queenscliffe Literary Festival’s curation of lively and thought-provoking conversations aimed to provide book lovers with opportunities for engagement.

Program director Elizabeth McCarthy said the event was going to be “a great night out”.

“Reading books is such an introverted activity and writers festivals are a way for people to come together and talk about the books that they’ve been reading and the ideas that they’ve been exploring as a community.

She said audiences could look forward to a night of riveting conversation and intellectual stimulation.

“Across four books, [Ford’s] engaged with contemporary ideas, feminist dialogues and cultural debate.

“She’s obviously critiquing the institution of marriage and, I imagine, there’s a lot of people who’ll come who are interested why, in this day and age, we need to critique marriage.

“The history of marriage is not a particularly happy one and it’s not a particularly advantaged one for women.”

Ford will be in conversation with Edwina Preston, the author of Stella Prize-shortlisted Bad Art Mother.

“The reason I chose Edwina is because she’s just a brilliant brain…she’s incredibly good at interrogating literature and ideas,” McCarthy said.

“She’s got a fierce way of looking at things…so I think that Edwina in the interviewer’s chair is going to make for just a riveting time.”

The event will be held at the Queenscliff Town Hall on Wednesday January 10 from 6pm.

Tickets are $20 and doors will open at 5pm.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, head to queenscliffeliteraryfestival.com.au.

This year the Queenscliffe Literary Festival will run from October 18-27.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the Festival’s social media pages for information about other pop-up events.