A Single Witness Online Book Launch
About
Join us online for the launch of A Single Witness, the new novel by Christine Balint.It is 1756. In the mountain village of Piovene, outside Venice, thirteen-year-old Anna Maria Bonon lives a spartan life with her grandmother and father. By day she cards wool at the local mill. At home she raises silkworms. She fears her violent father, Giacomo, who struggles to find work and drinks his sorrows away at the osteria.
When Giacomo is arrested for a public brawl, Anna Maria and her grandmother walk miles to the court in Vicenza. But instead of trying to free him, Anna Maria accuses her father of crimes he committed against her. The Council of Ten from Venice arrives to investigate. She is the single witness.
Challenged by her grandmother and the local priest to say she lied, Anna Maria is torn between loyalty to her elders and telling the truth.
Drawing closely on original trial documents from Venetian archives, Christine Balint brings to light the true story of Anna Maria Bonon and her pursuit of justice at a time when a man's authority over his family was unquestioned.
The book will be launched by writer and historian Bernice Barry.
This online event is free to attend, but registration is essential.
Event times
• Sydney / Melbourne / Brisbane – 6.00pm
• Adelaide – 5.30pm
• Perth – 4.00pm
• London – 9.00am
The event will be recorded and available on the Spinifex Press YouTube channel afterwards.
About the Author
Christine Balint is the author of four novels. In 2021, Water Music won the Viva la Novella Prize. Her first novel, The Salt Letters, was shortlisted for The Australian/Vogel Literary Award, and was followed by Ophelia’s Fan. Her work has been published to critical acclaim in Australia, the United States, Germany and Italy, and she was named one of Barnes & Noble’s Great New Writers in 2001.
Christine holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English and Modern European Studies and has undertaken international archival research in French, Italian and Hungarian. She has a PhD in Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne and has taught at the University of Melbourne, RMIT and La Trobe University. She is the daughter of Hungarian/Transylvanian refugees and lives on Bunurong Land (the Mornington Peninsula) with her partner and two children.
About the Launcher
Bernice Barry is a West Australian writer and historian with a background in education. Her publications include historical fiction and non-fiction, reflecting her passion for discovering and telling women’s stories where truth has been obscured by time.
Originally from Cornwall in the UK, Bernice has lived for twenty-six years on Wadandi Country near Wooditjup/Margaret River, researching West Australian history, nurturing a native garden in the bush and spending as much time as possible at the place where land meets ocean.
She is a regular speaker on a wide range of topics, from nineteenth-century botany to writing, heritage and history. Her latest novel, The Names of a Hare, was published by Fremantle Press in February 2026.
Date
Thursday 16 July 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (UTC+10)Location
Online event access details will be provided by the event organiser
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A Single Witness Online Book Launch
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