A French-born singer, writer and performer who now lives on a wooden, ketch sailboat in Ramsgate harbour will give a reading from her book Not Me at The Margate Bookshop.
Not Me is a memoir written by Marianne Dissard about her battle with bulimia while working as a touring musician.
The reading will be the first public event staged at The Margate Bookshop in Market Place which opened its doors at the end of May.
The shop was founded by Francesca Wilkins who cut her teeth working on the century-old London barge named the Word on the Water.
Like many of the isle’s success stories the venture first started life as a pop-up and then as part of popular literature festival, The Margate Bookie.
Setting up in the heart of the Old Town Francesca wants to provide a space where literature lovers can browse books while encouraging a wider audience to come and read.
She explained: “The activity of buying and browsing books has become more impersonal. At the heart of this project lies the desire for more accessible spaces that feel inviting to a wider audience, through which to promote art, in particular literature.”
The pop-up was first at Turner Contemporary in 2017 and received glowing reviews which led to the start of a more permanent home.
.“I was drawn in by Margate’s atmosphere of optimism and strong sense of community,” she said.
The book lover received an overwhelming, positive response from visitors which reinforced the desire for a space offering new books in the town.
A small café area in the shop will be serving coffee and teas for customers to enjoy while browsing or reading books. Hot drinks and a small baked goods selection will be provided by local businesses.
Francesca added: “The Margate Bookshop will serve within the town centre, hosting a series of readings, book signings, book club meetings, poetry slams and even small gigs. Upstairs, a Writers’ Room will offer a friendly co-working space and will also be available to book for events.”
The reading by Marianne (pictured) takes place on June 21 at 6pm as part of a celebration of International Yoga Day.
Report Jodie Nesling