True Lies: Beliefs and bias under the spotlight at Salon After D'Arc

State Library Victoria’s acclaimed after-hours conversation series, Salon After D’Arc, returns in 2025 with a provocative new program, a dynamic community of curious minds, and bestselling author and broadcaster Jamila Rizvi at the helm. 

Running from June to October, the four-part series explores the hidden forces that shape how we know what we know — from the media we consume to the myths we inherit, the dreams we chase, and the rituals we keep. 

Supported by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and featuring collection items acquired through the Women Writers Fund, Salon After D’Arc brings together writers, artists and thinkers for a one-of-a-kind evening that evokes the salons of yesteryear, with a unique blend of panel discussion, live experimentation, special collection viewings, and cocktails on arrival. 

The Women Writers Fund was established by co-founders Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Helen Sykes to redress the historical underrepresentation of women authors in the Library’s rare books collection. Their support ensures that the voices of women — past and present — are preserved, celebrated and brought to light through programs like this. 

State Library Victoria CEO, Paul Duldig, says, ‘As one of the world’s oldest and busiest public libraries, State Library Victoria offers more than access to knowledge — we create the space for Victorians to interrogate, challenge and make up their own minds. Programs like Salon After D’Arc affirm our role as an active voice for learning, culture and debate.’ 

This year’s series kicks off on Wednesday 18 June with Changing Your Mind, a compelling deep-dive into misinformation — how it’s constructed, disseminated and, ultimately, believed. 

Featuring acclaimed journalist Sushi Das and Future Women Deputy Managing Director Jamila Rizvi in conversation, a truth-testing experiment with comedic provocateur Sami Shah, and fact-checking tools from RMIT’s Information Integrity Hub with journalist and award-winning lecturer Gordon Farrer, the event serves as a live intervention into the way we think. It also builds on the Library’s powerful new exhibition Make Believe: Encounters with Misinformation, open daily from 10am–6pm in the Keith Murdoch Gallery. 

Salon After D’Arc 2025 series host, Jamila Rizvi, says, ‘I’m thrilled to host Salon After D’Arc. It’s rare to find a series that values both intellect and intimacy, that can explore tough issues like misinformation, gender bias and cultural rituals with rigour and generosity. These conversations feel both urgent and joyfully unfiltered.’ 

Now in its third year, Salon After D’Arc continues to attract a growing audience of young culture and literature lovers seeking smart, unexpected conversation in one of Melbourne’s most iconic destinations. 

Upcoming events in 2025 include: 

• 30 July — Myths, Misdiagnoses and Misinformation 
  A myth-busting look at the gendered gaps in medicine, from Victorian-era hysteria to today’s TikTok doctors
• 10 September — Dreams, Creativity and the Subconscious 
  Exploring the mysterious link between sleep, stories and the imagination
• 8 October — Divination, Ritual and the Occult 
  Unpacking our fascination with the supernatural, and how ritual and magic shape creative practice. 

Each event runs from 7–9pm in the Library’s Conversation Quarter, with a special collection viewing from 6.30pm. 

Tickets for all four events are on sale now, with guest speakers for upcoming sessions to be announced. 

For more information, visit slv.vic.gov.au/whats-on