If you think about the history and culture of Portsmouth, what comes to mind? Join us for a talk from three experts exploring the history of our city and where that has led us to now, as we journey through Portsmouth's 100 years as a city.
Strikes! Energy Crises! Urban Overcrowding! Portsmouth 2026? No, Portsmouth 1926.
Dr Melanie Bassett will begin this event by revisiting key events from 100 years ago, when Portsmouth was elevated to city status by King George V. The accolade bestowed acknowledged the progress made in areas such as urban development standards and governance. However, 1926 was also a tumultuous year: The Coal Miners' Strike led to an energy crisis and was quickly followed by a General Strike that affected the whole country. As a naval city with a large proportion of state-employed workers engaged in national defence, Portsmouth's reaction differed from that of other urban areas. Portsmouth also suffered a housing and migration crisis as hundreds of workers from Rosyth and Pembroke Royal Dockyards transferred to the city. Melanie's talk will explore how the Royal Dockyard influenced events in the year Portsmouth became a city. Its themes - strikes, energy crises, and overcrowding - may highlight how, though 100 years have passed, some things still feel eerily familiar...
'Tigers, time machines, lost worlds: the literary leyline in Victorian Portsmouth, and what followed after...'
Dr Alison Habens will guide us along the footsteps of Kipling, Conan Doyle, Dickens and H.G Wells through Southsea, glimpsing the city as they saw it and the worlds they imagined there, in their Science Fiction and Fantasy writing. Meet less familiar figures, like Besant and Doudney, on this tour of local streets with a twist.
A City of Storytellers: A contemporary literary history of Portsmouth through the words of the our local writers
Finally, Dr Maggie Bowers will bring us into more recent years, tracing the recent emergence of Portsmouth as one of the most prolific literary cities in the country. Drawing on interviews and publications from the writing and spoken-word community, the talk will outline a comprehensive overview of the different strands of literary activities in the city. Maggie will be exploring the factors that make Portsmouth such an important city of storytellers, considering the key moments in its development and asking what the future looks like for Portsmouth as a great literary city.
Accessibility and special requirements: We will endeavour to provide particular access requirements on request. If you have any access requirements, e.g. wheelchair access, hearing loops or specific neurodiverse requirements, please get in touch in advance of the event.
Any questions you may have, please contact dri@port.ac.uk