PAST EVENT: 4/9/2021
Women of Paris
Literary Left Bank - Virtual Tour Experience
George Sand
Colette
Simone de Beauvoir
Friday, April 9th, 2021
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
Virtual via Zoom
5:00 PM EDT Optional 30-minute Networking Session
Our virtual tour experience was educational, interactive, and so much fun! Over Zoom Heidi Evans shed light on the lives and achievements of female writers in Paris, intertwining their stories with the geographical, political, and cultural changes of the city throughout its history. We were treated with views of the charming Saint Germain-des-Prés district and the fascinating lives of brilliant women like Colette, George Sand, and Simone de Beauvoir, just to name a few!
Guests prepared le goûter or l'apéro to enjoy during the event to kick off their weekend with the FACC!
Hello! I’m Heidi – Paris tour guide and creator of the Women of Paris Walks. I made the move over to Paris from London in search of a new adventure in the French capital where I began guiding. Through guiding my love for Paris blossomed; I developed a fascination for all things French and a genuine joy for what I was doing.
I was inspired to create the Essential Women of Paris walk when I realised that this is a grossly neglected topic in Paris tourism. Typical tours of the city are dominated by great men (Napoleon, Louis XIV, Victor Hugo etc) and often don’t include much reference to great women. Or, if they do mention women, it is often in a negative light.
After realising this and feeling disheartened I decided to make a change and create something relevant for our time – an evolving world in which patriarchal history is being challenged. As soon as I began researching, I was amazed by the rich diversity of names I was coming across, from Josephine Baker to Marie Curie. I hope that this tour will reveal a new side to Paris, already such a beloved city, and I hope that it will enrich Paris tourism by creating an awareness of some of the incredible women who have impacted the city.
Let’s consider the facts: France has never had a female monarch or president. Women didn’t get the vote here until much later than many of France’s European counterparts. This is the capital city of a country that has been ruled by men and its history largely dictated by a male voice. The women we do hear about are very often wives, mistresses or muses to great kings, writers or artists. Throughout history, women have very often been sexualised, objectified, but not all that frequently recognised for their own achievements.
In the past, Paris has been likened to a female muse, inspiring the many great male artists and writers who made their names here. But what about the women who lived here? What was Paris for them? Isn’t it time we heard their voices too?
For more information, please visit: https://www.womenofparis.fr/
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