Join us for an evening with award winning poet, writer and archaeologist, Jo Bell, as she talks about her new memoir Boater, journeying through the past and present of our historic canals.
For over twenty years Jo Bell has travelled the waterways of England (and sometimes Wales) meeting extraordinary people in an extraordinary environment. It’s a journey that’s taught her about human nature, including her own; about rope and Brasso and bravery; about ducks and locks, and above all, about the necessity for a constant supply of biscuits.
In this smart, funny memoir she describes an alternative nation within a nation, a place of different maps and deep history, and home to people who live and work in a world quite separate from the land a few feet away on the banks.
Always at home, always on the move, Jo’s peaceful life is interrupted when a turbulent relationship takes her on a year-long odyssey through tranquil waters and on to the treacherous Bristol Channel. Join her as she navigates shallow waters and deep trouble, and welcomes readers onboard a remarkable voyage through the past, present and future of our remarkable canals and the communities they support.
Jo Bell has writtem a beautifully crafted memoir. We look forward to welcoming her to Booka to celebrate its publication.
Jo Bell is an award-winning poet, writer, and archaeologist whose collections include Kith and Navigation. She was the UK’s inaugural Canal Laureate and is a former director of National Poetry Day. Originally from Sheffield and raised on the edges of the Derbyshire Peak District, she has spent the past twenty years living a life afloat on the waterways of England. She can usually be found on a mooring somewhere in Cheshire. Boater is her first memoir.
Tickets: £10 without book (Admits One, ticket redeemable against a signed copy of Boater) or £17 with book (Admits One, includes a signed copy of Boater)