Book Launch: Seagoing Women: At Work by Sara Donnelly
About this event
Join us for the launch of Seagoing Women: At Work by Sara Donnelly, presented by Library and Archives Canada and Harbour Publishing. The event will be moderated by Gay Decker.
Through vivid first-person accounts and a wealth of images, journalist and mariner Sara Donnelly creates captivating portraits of 33 women who have built remarkable careers on the water, as everything from tugboat operators and commercial fishers to naval architects and whale researchers.
Drawing from in-depth interviews and personal archives, Seagoing Women offers a rare look at offshore life: the physical demands, long stretches away from home, ingenuity required in unpredictable conditions and deep sense of purpose shared by those whose lives are tied to the ocean. The women featured reflect a wide range of backgrounds, geographies and paths into the industry.
Each story highlights determination, skill and resilience in a profession defined by adventure, challenge and reward. With her concise, engaging introductions to these women, and with the stories she assembles from first-hand interviews and correspondence, Donnelly creates a detailed picture of a world in which hard work, risk and long absences are compensated by what one seafarer describes as “a life that is beautiful, rewarding and full of adventure.”
About the author
Over a two-decade career as a journalist and writer, Sara Donnelly has also worked search and rescue with the Canadian Coast Guard, commercial-fished on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, and served as a quartermaster on ferries. Her family has deep roots in marine industries, with generations of fishers, pilots and engineers. She lives on the Sunshine Coast in BC.
Sessions
A book signing organized by Octopus Books will take place after the conversation.
Paid parking spaces are available at 395 Wellington Street, on the west side of the building. Parking meters and public parking lots can also be found on the surrounding streets.
Bike racks are also available in front of the building.
Several OC Transpo and Société de transport de l’Outaouais bus routes serve stops located near 395 Wellington Street.
Stay in touch
Do you have questions about this event? Email us at evenements-events@bac-lac.gc.ca.