Launch of Boater - A Life on England’s Waterways

We live on the other side of your map, and we navigate by different stars ...

After decades of calm aboard England’s historic canals, a turbulent relationship finds Jo Bell embarking on a year-long odyssey navigating the country’s canals. Exploring the past and present, Boater is both her story and the story of the living waterways – told with wit, wisdom, and deep insight into a culture found on the other side of the map.

Join Jo for the launch of this beautifully crafted memoir, where she uses her experience as an archaeologist to guide readers through this floating world.

The Poetry Pharmacy are delighted to host the launch of Jo's lyrical debut memoir journeying through the past and present of our historic canals. Expect heartbreak, disaster, a particularly grisly episode involving a Canada goose, biscuits, and an array of unforgettable and curious characters.

Join us to raise a glass to Jo and celebrate the launch of Jo's stunning memoir.

Praise for Boater and Jo Bell:

‘No time is wasted in the company of her work.’ — Carol Ann Duffy, former UK Poet Laureate

‘A vivid, illuminating account of canal history.’ — Stuart Maconie, bestselling author of The Full English

‘Bell is a brilliant and often very funny writer. She navigates with ease through the deeply fascinating themes of industrial archaeology, personal memoir and our country’s waterways.’ — Sally Coulthard, author of A Brief History of the Countryside

About the Author

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.