by Evan Thomas
First published 2018
The merchant vessel Halsewell sets sail in January, bound for distant shores as part of the East India Company's vast trading network. Thomas chronicles the journey from departure through the catastrophic shipwreck that claimed the vessel and many of its souls. Through verse and detailed notes, the narrative follows the crew and passengers as their routine voyage transforms into a desperate fight for survival against the merciless sea. The poem captures both the immediate terror of the disaster and the human stories within the tragedy. Thomas adds a consolatory address that seeks to provide comfort to those grieving the loss. This 18th-century work preserves the memory of a real maritime disaster while offering solace to readers confronting loss and mortality.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, poetry, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: survival, tragedy
Setting: East India
Period: 18th-century
28 pages · Hardcover · Gale Ecco, Print Editions
Content warnings: death