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W H Allen acquires ‘sweeping’ oceanic history by maritime archaeologist Dr Helen Farr
W H Allen, an imprint of Ebury, has acquired the non-fiction debut by maritime archaeologist, and associate professor at the University of Southampton, Dr Helen Farr. Amanda Waters, editor at Ebury, acquired world all-language rights to Seaborne from Tom Killingbeck at AM Heath for publication in spring 2027.
The synopsis reads: “Seaborne is a sweeping history of humans and the ocean. Taking readers on a thrilling journey across time, from homo erectus seafaring around South East Asia a million years ago, to shipbreaking yards in present-day India, Helen Farr reveals the extraordinary artefacts and shipwrecks that tells us about our world, and about ourselves. From exploration and expansion across continents, to maritime complexity, trade, globalisation and warfare, this is history on an epic scale.”
Farr said: “I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge about the history of the ocean in a way that brings it into vibrant technicolour – bringing the reader on board deck, or diving beneath the waves. People’s experience of the ocean can be as varied as the nature of the water itself, as it changes from place to place, day to day. In Seaborne I wanted to share my love of the ocean without flattening these pasts or these experiences, to pay respect to the power of the ocean and all those who have ever gone to sea.”
Killingbeck said: “Maritime archaeology has gripped the global imagination since its inception, yet we are rarely afforded a glimpse into the real discipline behind the films, TV and news stories, and its importance in developing our understanding of the human relationship with the ocean. As a shipwreck expert, experienced diver, top academic and an exceptional writer, Helen Farr is the perfect guide to this most hazardous and mysterious branch of archaeology, and I’m delighted that in the appropriately named Amanda Waters and the team at Ebury, she has assembled the perfect crew with which to launch Seaborne.”
