“We mistake romantic love for being the only kind of love that matters, but this is just one small part of human connection. Our Love Sermon will have you laughing and weeping in equal measure, but most of all it will remind you that the gift of loving in all its messy complexities is at the heart of what it means to be alive.” Clementine Ford, Women’s Agenda
Unrequited romance. Deep friendship. Motherhood. Break-ups. Self-love. Matters of the heart are rarely simple.
For several years, writer and broadcaster Clementine Ford made her name as one of Australia's most provocative feminists, making public appearances and writing columns that were branded as angry and ‘man-hating’. But following a challenging beginning to motherhood and a relationship break-up, she began to tire of the endless controversy and hostility. Instead, she looked towards love.
Featuring intimate musical performances from writer Clementine Ford and musician Libby O’Donovan, Love Sermon is an honest, unflinching, and life-affirming exploration of the many forms love takes, and the powerful ways it makes its home in our hearts.
This event is open captioned.
Clementine Ford (Australian)
Clementine Ford is a writer, performer and general rapscallion living in Naarm. She is the bestselling author of three books, Fight Like A Girl, Boys Will Be Boys and How We Love. Her latest book takes on the institution of marriage, arguing that it is essentially harmful to women's prosperity and happiness. I Don't will be published by Allen & Unwin in October 2023.
Libby O’Donovan (Australian)
Libby O’Donovan is a “powerful and sassy performer” (The Sydney Morning Herald), renowned for her nuanced interpretations and extraordinary voice. She is a critically acclaimed jazz and cabaret performer and an award-winning musical director. Libby has entertained audiences world-over with her unique talents, performing in New York, Tokyo and Toronto as well as Australia-wide. Equally at home in small ensemble acts as well as solo performances, she has been a proud member of ARIA nominated Coco's Lunch, Flat on Your Bacharach, and Women With Standards, for which she won a Green Room Award for Musical Direction. Libby has performed seasons for the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Edinburgh Fringe, Sydney Spring Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, the International Jazz Educators Convention, Adelaide Cabaret Festival (including working with Broadway composers Jason Robert-Brown and Andrew Lippa), Melbourne Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, Feast Festival, and this year performed across India as part of the Hindu Festival.
