Apart from the lecture series taking place in April and May, exploring Liverpool’s links with Melville and whaling, we’ve been planning some talks and events for the weekend of the reading itself. These are all more or less confirmed, but timings for some have yet to be fixed. Events will take place in the Maritime Museum, on board the schooner Kathleen & May, and at the Museum of Liverpool.

On Saturday May 4th We have a talk about scrimshaw by international expert Janet West, and on Sunday 5th Katie McGettigan will be exploring Melville’s time in Liverpool. The watery part of the world is represented by a performance of the medieval play Noah, directed by Dr Sarah Peverley and performed by students at the University of Liverpool, and for children, author Jon Mayhew will be telling stories and maybe even reading from his new book Monster Odyssey: The Eye of Neptune. There will also be crafts and other activities, including a ‘whale trail’ around the Maritime Museum.

If you want to participate by reading in the marathon, head over to this page and find out how.