Conference - Maritime Histories from the Margins: People, Places, and Practices, 1500–Present

Date: 11-12 November 2026
Conference venue: National Maritime Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich, London

Ticket sales will close at 11.59pm on 28 October.

Conference overview

Royal Museums Greenwich and the Centre for Port Cities and Maritime Cultures, University of Portsmouth are co-convening this two-day interdisciplinary conference exploring marginalised histories in maritime contexts from c.1500 to the present day. 

The conference will highlight new research and perspectives on communities and individuals historically underrepresented in maritime narratives. 

Maritime history has long been shaped by narratives centred on political, military, and economic power. Yet, the oceans have always been populated and impacted by maritime communities that were historically marginalised, or people whose maritime lives and labour remain overlooked or underrepresented in archives, collections, and scholarship.

This interdisciplinary conference aims to bring those histories to the forefront: the workers, makers, families, travellers, navigators, communities, and knowledge-keepers who have lived and worked at the edges of visibility within maritime histories.   

Bursaries for ECR speakers

Thanks to the generosity of the University of Portsmouth, eight bursaries of up to £250 to support travel and conference expenses are available for UK-based Early Career Researchers (within 10 years of submitting a PhD, with allowances for medical or personal leave) or independent researchers with equivalent non-academic professional experience. 

Please note that each eligible Early Career Researcher must submit an individual application. To apply: submit your details on this form. 

Deadline: 23.59 BST on 24 September (with outcomes by 30 September)