The sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago still resonates deeply. To mark the centenary this April, three writers, Nic Compton, Frances Wilson and John Welshman, give voice to some of those who died in the disaster and to some who lived to tell the tale. An actor will read some of the testimonies at this event.

In his Titanic on Trial, Compton tells the story of the final hours of the Titanic using the words of survivors taken from transcripts oif the US and British inquiries. Wilson’s highly acclaimed How to Survive the Titanic or the Sinking of J Bruce Ismay tells the story of Ismay, the ship’s owner, who survived after jumping into a lifeboat with the women and children, and then had to live with the guilt for the rest of his life. Welshman reconstructs the stories of 12 individuals who were on the ship the night it sank in Titanic: The Last Night of a Small Town.  The event is chaired by Dr David Grylls, a fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford, and director of studies for the literature and creative writing courses.