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Guest lectures

Locating Charles Wotten, in and beyond the archives

  • 18.00 - 19.00
  • 29 Oct 2026
  • Lecture Theatre B, Rose Bowl, City Campus, Leeds Beckett University, LS1 3HB
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Locating Charles Wotten, in and beyond the archives
This Black History Month, explore the lives of Bermudian merchant seamen and uncover how archives, oral histories and creative practice are helping to recover the hidden stories of Charles Wotten and others affected by the 1919 Liverpool racist riots.

In the 1970s, Black Liverpudlians recovered the memory of Bermudian merchant mariner Charles Wotten’s murder during the 1919 Liverpool 'Racist Riots'. Details about his death, and the attacks that occurred in port towns across the nation that year, have been studied by a range of historians since. Almost a decade ago, Kristy Warren was encouraged by one of those historians, Dr Gemma Romain, to investigate Wotten’s life.

This talk explores the collaborative research undertaken concerning the lived experiences of Wotten and other Bermudian merchant seamen, such as Rev John William DeShield. It considers the potential and limits of official records with reference to family archives, oral history and art making.

Image credit

2024 digital art piece by Liverpudlian artist Sumuyya (Khader) using archival images of Charles Wotten and Rev JW DeShield image credit for Sumuyya.

Kristy Warren researches the history, vestiges and legacies of British colonialism in Bermuda, the wider Caribbean and the United Kingdom. She is especially interested in the role Caribbean individuals and groups play in bringing about change. Kristy explores these themes through collaborative research, writing, and art. She is Senior Lecturer in Black History at the University of Lincoln. Kristy also works with cultural institutions seeking to create content that better reflects the histories, experiences and desires of Caribbean people.

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