Maritime labour remains central to our understanding of port and shipboard life. Turns towards global, transnational and postcolonial histories have all variously reinvigorated these discussions, showing how practices of resistance, antagonism, internationalism and much more were embedded within the maritime world. For the 2018 CPMH Conference, we return to these themes to discuss what current, leading-edge research is uncovering about the role of maritime labour in the past, but also to encourage the discussion of previous debates in the light of new evidence or approaches.

The conference theme is deliberately broad in scope, but potential themes/topics for discussion could include (but are not limited to): Varieties of maritime work and practices (e.g. regional/national maritime traditions/systems); Maritime labour militancy and political activity; Struggles over pay and conditions; Shipboard labour as a vector for inter/transnational political movements and solidarity; Intersectional accounts of maritime labour (including ethnic, gender and cultural diversity).

To submit an abstract for this year’s conference, please email a 250-word abstract to Dr Andy Davies, Co-Director of the CPMH (a.d.davies@liv.ac.uk)