Stranded in the Six-Day War
The extraordinary story of the 14 merchant ships trapped in the Suez Canal at the start of the Six-Day War in June 1967 – a Talk by Cath Senker
7.30-9.30pm, Thursday 12 April 2018
Learning Resource Centre at the City Clean Depot, Upper Hollingdean Road, Brighton BN1 7GA. [The entrance to the depot is opposite Roedale Road. The learning centre is just inside the gates on the right.]
In June 1967, at the outbreak of the Six-Day War, 14 merchant ships were passing through the Suez Canal. As hostilities erupted, they were ordered to halt in the Great Bitter Lake. Although the war was brief, after it finished, the Egyptian government refused the ships permission to leave. Those ships were trapped in the Suez Canal for a full eight years, until June 1975. Over the period, 3,000 seafarers served on the trapped ships in the middle of a war zone, maintaining the vessels and protecting their valuable cargos. Despite coming from countries on opposing sides of the Cold War, the crews forged a strong community, exchanging supplies and skills, and coordinating social and sports activities through the Great Bitter Lake Association (GBLA).
Cath has written a book about the extraordinary story, told through the eyes of some of the stranded seafarers.
About the speaker
Cath Senker has more than 25 years’ experience in publishing and has written around 160 books for children of all ages, specialising in history, global and social issues, world religions, human geography and environmental topics. She is a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow, running writing development workshops for university students. As a volunteer, Cath teaches English to refugees and migrants at the Migrant English Project and is a story mentor for children’s writing workshops with Little Green Pig.
Cath recently started writing books for adults. Her first was Cybercrime and the Darknet, published in 2016. In a new departure, in 2017 she self-published Stranded in the Six-Day War, the extraordinary story of the 14 merchant ships trapped in the Suez Canal at the start of the Six-Day War in June 1967.
More about Cath at www.cathsenker.co.uk
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.