Maritime book exposing life at sea wins major industry award

Amelia Jones

A Welsh academic has won a major award for a book examining the working lives of people at sea and the conditions they face.

Emeritus Professor Helen Sampson, former director of the Seafarers’ International Research Centre, has received The Maritime Foundation Award for Best Book at the Maritime Awards.

Her book, Sea-Time: An Ethnographic Adventure, draws on years of research to explore the realities of modern seafaring. Including deteriorating working conditions, the erosion of autonomy on board ships, and the impact of industry consolidation following takeovers and mergers.

It also documents the decline of family-owned shipping firms, offering a detailed insight into life at sea that is rarely seen by those on land.

Professor Sampson, who is based in Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences said: “When I first went to sea in 1999 for this research, I was astonished to hear that many seafarers felt their lives were a necessary sacrifice in order to be able to provide for their families.

“I wanted to write about that in this book to raise awareness of some of the conditions and issues faced by more than one million people working at sea.”

Speaking following the awards ceremony, Richard Clayton, Chair of the Maritime Foundation said the awards highlighted serious concerns within the industry while recognising the excellence of maritime storytelling.

On receiving her award, Professor Sampson dedicated it to the seafarers who shared their stories with her: “My hope is that this research will lead to much-needed improvements in the working lives of people who play such important roles, yet whose efforts and challenges are so often overlooked.”