Bow Lines – Maritime Literary Festival

Based in Exeter’s historic Custom House and around its Heritage Harbour, Bowlines will explore major themes in maritime literature. These will include:

Characters and Characterisation – Inputs both on real characters and creating imagined
ones.

Disaster – Wars, shipwrecks and the efforts to improve maritime safety.

These will be approached via inputs both from respected maritime historians and well known writers of naval fiction. The event will have a variety of inputs, ranging from talks to lively panel discussions designed to explore emerging themes in maritime literature.

Friday 6 June

11:30 (Custom House)
Bowlines Launch with Dr. Sam Willis (45mins)

13:30 (Custom House)
Safety at Sea with Kate Jamieson
Chair – Louise Sanger (1hr)

13:30 (Topsham Brewery)
Writing Nautical Fiction (i) with Katie Daysh & Alaric Bond
Chair – David Davies (1hr)

15:00 (Custom House)
The State of Maritime History
Panel discussion with Dr. Sam Willis, David Davies & Jonathan Turner (1hr)

17:00 (Exeter Guildhall)
Civic Reception (2hrs)

Saturday 7 June

10:00 (Custom House)
Plenary Session with Hannah Cunliffe (45mins)

11:30 (Custom House)
Writing Nautical Fiction (ii) with Chris Durbin, Philip K Allan
Chair – David Davies (1hr)

11.30 (Topsham Brewery)
Women at Sea with Jo Stanley & Elaine Murphy (1hr)

13:30 (Custom House)
Why Ships Sank with Roy Adkins & Lesley Adkins (1hr)

13:30 (Topsham Brewery)
Panel Discussion Whither Maritime History (1hr)

15:00 (Custom House)
Panel Discussion: Whither Nautical Fiction (1hr)

17:00 (Exeter Guildhall)
Society for Nautical Research AGM – SNR members only

18:30 (Royal Albert Memorial Museum)
SNR Reception & Dinner
Keynote Speaker Nicholas A.M. Rodger
Additional fee, SNR members only

Heritage Harbour Festival

Sunday June 8th is Exeter’s annual Heritage Harbour Festival where traditional vessels and a range of other historic transport owners come along to join singers and musicians, creative artists and a multitude of the public to celebrate the city’s historic harbour.

Download Event Schedule (with web links)