Cunard to host Australian Literature Festival at Sea

Cunard is also launching its first Literature Festival at Sea in the UK, in conjunction with the Cheltenham Literature Festival, The Times and the Sunday Times, aboard Queen Mary 2’s upcoming November 19 trans-Atlantic crossing.

Writing workshops

English-born Australian author Fiona McIntosh and British author Alexander McCall Smith will share their experiences and conduct writing workshops on board.

McIntosh is the creator of the Jack Hawksworth crime series, with its fourth instalment ‘Dead Tide’ ranked #1 bestselling Australian fiction in the first week of its release.

McCall Smith, author of more than 100 books, is best-known for his acclaimed series ‘The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency’ which sold more than 20m copies in the English language alone.

Time to read at sea

‘On the great liners of the past, people had time to read books and talk about them,’ McCall Smith said. 'What a magnificent thing it is that Cunard has decided to recreate this wonderful occasion.'