Julia Jones, Stars to Steer By

Celebrating the 20th century women who went to sea, Julia Jones will be diving into the stories of an array of incredible, unconventional and extraordinary women who set their sights on the sea in an all-male world, and paved the way for the female sailing superstars of today.

This event will include an audience Q&A and after the event there will be an opportunity to get your book signed by Julia.

‘For Men Must Work and Women Must Weep’ – Must They?

Responding to this year’s festival theme, Communities Within Communities, author Julia Jones has written a fascinating blog which explores the notion of community from multiple perspectives, including in relation to Essex’s rich and diverse heritage. Read the blog here.

Wednesday 11th June, 7.00pm

Venue: Frinton Library, 59 Old Road, Frinton-on-Sea, CO13 9DA

Tickets: £10 / £8 concessions (Students, Under 27s and Unwaged)

Box Office: essexbookfestival.org.uk or Mercury Theatre 01206 573948

Stars to Steer By: Celebrating the 20th Century Women who went to Sea, by Julia Jones

The extraordinary stories of the fearless women who set their sights on the sea in an all-male world, and paved the way for the female sailing superstars of today.

‘An entertaining and inspiring cruise through the lives of women sailors: adventurers, racers, travelers, workers, pootlers, rich and poor, happy and sad.’ – Louisa Young

Gender issues are stark at sea. Historically a ship’s crew is all male, and although vessels are referred to as ‘she’, women’s contributions to sailing have been largely ignored, if not actively opposed. Today’s sailing legends such as Tracey Edwards and Ellen MacArthur compete with men on equal terms, but they stand on the shoulders of many women before them, who had to challenge preconceptions, prejudice and even the law in their wish to sail.

Spanning the 19th century to today, Julia Jones dives into the lives of an array of incredible and unconventional women: we meet single-handed sailors, wealthy explorers, long-suffering wives and penniless chancers with a thirst for adventure. Each had to face down barriers of official exclusion, family-imposed restriction, social disapproval and often a resulting lack of self-belief.

In the 21st-century, British women wear Admiral’s uniforms and break global yachting records, yet their journey to professional sailing remains challenging, and the public face of sailing remains mostly male – evident in the lack of female Commodores in prestigious yacht clubs. Even as sailing becomes more accessible, the remarkable contributions within these stories are a precious source of inspiration to all women facing their own challenges today.

Order a copy of Stars to Steer By by Julia Jones at the Essex Book Festival bookshop at bookshop.org

Julia Jones

Julia Jones is a writer, campaigner and classic-yacht owner. She is literary editor for Yachting Monthly Magaznie and a regular contributor to Marine Quarterly and Practical Boat Owner.

Julia’s introduction to boats happened early when her parents bought Arthur Ransome’s yacht Peter Duck. She soon discovered that her berth on board was the snuggest place in the world for reading, writing and dreaming. Years later, she discovered that her special reading place had originally been designed for Ransome to store his typewriter, which inspired The Salt-Stained Book and her Strong Winds adventure series. More recently she explored the lives of WW2 RNVSR volunteers in Uncommon Courage (Adlard Coles).