We talk to author Jo Bell, the UK’s inaugural Canal Laureate about her new memoir Boater. Blending personal narrative and history, Boater reveals the key moments, cultures and communities that have been built along the canal banks – and reflects on how the waterways have been the lifeblood of our country’s development. A trained archaeologist and decades-long boater, Jo is an authority on the subject and offers unparalleled insight into this fascinating world - and what better place to talk about boats and canals then Leed's own floating bookshop, Hold Fast, onboard National Historic Ship and former Yorkshire Coal Barge Marjorie R.
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 embark 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.
Within this beautifully crafted memoir, Jo uses her experience as an archaeologist to guide readers through this floating world. Along the way, there is heartbreak, disaster, a particularly grisly episode involving a Canada goose, biscuits, and an array of unforgettable and curious characters.
She also highlights the importance of key historical figures who shaped the system we know today – James Brindley, Thomas Telford, L. T. C. Rolt – whose groundbreaking work revolutionised and revitalised transportation in England.