Jo Bell at The Portico Library

Poet and now memoirist Jo Bell invites you to join her “for a friendly evening in one of Britain’s most special places, the magnificent, secret Mancunian treasure that is The Portico Library“.

Usually found on a mooring somewhere in Cheshire, Jo Bell will be talking about her new “smart, funny” memoir Boater (just out with HarperCollins), as well as reading a little from it and answering questions from the audience. An award-winning poet, Jo Bell’s collections include Kith and Navigation, and as well as being the UK’s inaugural Canal Laureate, she was director of National Poetry Day.

Right now, you’re encouraged to step aboard Boater, the memoir of a mesmerising narrowboat voyage along the tranquil waterways of England, meeting extraordinary people in an extraordinary environment. After decades of calm aboard England’s historic canals – always at home, always on the move – a turbulent relationship finds the archaeologist-turned-poet embark on a year-long odyssey navigating the country’s canals, not to mention the treacherous Bristol Channel.

Boater is both her story and the story of the living waterways – told with Jo Bell’s usual wit and wisdom as well as a deep insight into a culture found on the other side of the map. Join her as she navigates shallow waters and deep trouble, and welcomes readers onboard a remarkable voyage through the past, present and future of our canals and the communities they support. It’s a journey that’s taught her about human nature, including her own; about rope and Brasso and bravery; about locks and her neighbours, the ducks (“Duck of the Day” is a regular feature on Jo’s socials). Boater describes an alternative nation within a nation, a place of different maps and deep history, and home to people who live and work in a world quite separate from the land a few feet away on the banks. As she says: ‘It’s not a lifestyle. It’s a life.’

Books will be on sale at the event. Tickets are £6 plus Eventbrite booking fee (£7.21 in total).

If you can’t make Manchester, but you’re in Nottingham, head to Five Leaves Bookshop to hear from Jo on 6 August.