Her family is her refuge, her animals her constant companions, and the Société de Lecture her second home. Delphine has been at the helm of the Société’s cultural events for the past 20 years. She grew up with the Société de Lecture, and in turn has nurtured its growth. In 2009, she was recognized by the French Academy for her service to French literature with its Prix du Rayonnement de la Langue et de La Littérature Françaises, and in 2013 she was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and in 2022 elevated to Officer of the same Order. Her first loves – complemented but not replaced by literature – were theatre and dance: she spent eight years promoting and supporting stage arts with Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Foundation for Culture. She holds a Master’s in Political Science from the University of Geneva, a Federal certificate in public relations, and a diploma in Spanish language and culture from the University of Barcelona. Her volunteer activities include 10 years as a member of the steering committee of Clair Bois Foundation for the disabled, where she was in charge of media affairs. She has been a member of the boards of Am Stram Gram Children’s Theatre and the Geneva Book Fair’s Fondation pour l’écrit.
Books challenge Delphine intellectually and emotionally; nature fills her with peace and wonder. She loves nothing more than travelling the world to clamber up a glacier in crampons, and she has summited more than 10 4,000-meter peaks.