Dr. Mollie Carlyle
@molliecarlyle.bsky.social
Maritime musicologist and author of 'The Shantyman's Compendium'. Completed a PhD on ‘the last shantyman’, Stan Hugill, at the University of Aberdeen.
https://www.molliecarlyle.com
https://www.molliecarlyle.com
Pinned
Publication news! This morning I signed the contract for my first book! *From Ship to Screen: The Cultural Legacy of Sea Shanties* is officially underway and will be published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2026. ⚓️ ⛵️ 🎶 #Shanties #FromShipToScreen #MaritimeHistory
Finally got round to jotting down a few thoughts on the field of ‘maritime musicology’, which, as possibly the only self-proclaimed maritime musicologist, I’ve been meaning to do for some time. Hoping to expand this into a proper article at some point ⚓️🎶
www.molliecarlyle.com/post/maritim...
www.molliecarlyle.com/post/maritim...
‘Maritime Musicology’ – Tentatively Sowing the Seeds of a Discipline
Earlier this week, I was deeply honoured to be invited to present a paper on the nineteenth-century shanty tradition at the Royal College of Music Museum, as part of their ongoing exhibition on Shared...
www.molliecarlyle.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Finally got round to jotting down a few thoughts on the field of ‘maritime musicology’, which, as possibly the only self-proclaimed maritime musicologist, I’ve been meaning to do for some time. Hoping to expand this into a proper article at some point ⚓️🎶
www.molliecarlyle.com/post/maritim...
www.molliecarlyle.com/post/maritim...
Heading down to London tomorrow, where I’ll be giving two papers on two consecutive days (one for the V&A on maritime imaginaries in British musical theatre; the other an introduction to the shanty for the Royal College of Music Museum). Should be a lot of fun! ⚓️🎶 #seashanties #maritimehistory
September 14, 2026 at 6:55 AM
Heading down to London tomorrow, where I’ll be giving two papers on two consecutive days (one for the V&A on maritime imaginaries in British musical theatre; the other an introduction to the shanty for the Royal College of Music Museum). Should be a lot of fun! ⚓️🎶 #seashanties #maritimehistory
Had a lovely time presenting at the Connecticut Sea Music Symposium yesterday. Always the best audiences - and great to share some of my recent book research! ⚓️🎶
June 13, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Had a lovely time presenting at the Connecticut Sea Music Symposium yesterday. Always the best audiences - and great to share some of my recent book research! ⚓️🎶
Final manuscript officially submitted! I can’t wait to see the finished monograph in print. I’ll be talking about the contents of the introduction at the CT Sea Music Symposium in a fortnight - bringing new histories to light that have never been seen before! ⚓️🎶
May 29, 2026 at 12:32 PM
Final manuscript officially submitted! I can’t wait to see the finished monograph in print. I’ll be talking about the contents of the introduction at the CT Sea Music Symposium in a fortnight - bringing new histories to light that have never been seen before! ⚓️🎶
Excited to join a fantastic group of scholars as an Affiliated Fellow of the Centre for Music, Text and Cultures, Leeds. I’ll be particularly contributing to the Centre’s strategic areas of Cultural Transformations and the New Humanities, as well as Place, Public and Knowledge Production ⚓️🎶
May 6, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Excited to join a fantastic group of scholars as an Affiliated Fellow of the Centre for Music, Text and Cultures, Leeds. I’ll be particularly contributing to the Centre’s strategic areas of Cultural Transformations and the New Humanities, as well as Place, Public and Knowledge Production ⚓️🎶
Very pleased to share that I’ve been awarded an Eccles Institute Visiting Fellowship at the British Library. I’ll be carrying out research on how African and Caribbean folk traditions have shaped the development of maritime music 🎶⚓️
www.bl.uk/stories/blog...
www.bl.uk/stories/blog...
Announcement of the 2026–27 Eccles Institute Visiting Fellows
We are delighted to announce a fantastic cohort of academic, creative and independent researchers exploring a hugely diverse range of topics.
www.bl.uk
April 9, 2026 at 12:40 PM
Very pleased to share that I’ve been awarded an Eccles Institute Visiting Fellowship at the British Library. I’ll be carrying out research on how African and Caribbean folk traditions have shaped the development of maritime music 🎶⚓️
www.bl.uk/stories/blog...
www.bl.uk/stories/blog...
Looking forward to giving a talk at the Oceanic and Maritime History Workshop at the University of Cambridge on Wednesday 11th February (4:30-6:30pm). They’ll be getting a sneak preview of some of the work I’ve been doing recently for my book… ⚓️🎶 #seashanties #maritimehistory
February 7, 2026 at 8:58 AM
Looking forward to giving a talk at the Oceanic and Maritime History Workshop at the University of Cambridge on Wednesday 11th February (4:30-6:30pm). They’ll be getting a sneak preview of some of the work I’ve been doing recently for my book… ⚓️🎶 #seashanties #maritimehistory
If anyone fancies a bit of light reading, I really enjoyed taking a guest spot on Tin Cugelj’s amazing SOUNDSHIP research blog. In the post, I venture into the 15th century to discuss a very early example of shantying in the Mediterranean ⚓️🎶
soundship.uk/2025/12/21/s...
soundship.uk/2025/12/21/s...
Shanties Before ‘Shanties’? A Guest Post by Dr Mollie Carlyle
You might have noticed a longer break between the last and this post. That was intentional – partly to build anticipation (sorry for the devilish tricks), and partly to make room something special:…
soundship.uk
December 21, 2025 at 2:17 PM
If anyone fancies a bit of light reading, I really enjoyed taking a guest spot on Tin Cugelj’s amazing SOUNDSHIP research blog. In the post, I venture into the 15th century to discuss a very early example of shantying in the Mediterranean ⚓️🎶
soundship.uk/2025/12/21/s...
soundship.uk/2025/12/21/s...
Hot on the heels of my first book contract with Palgrave MacMillan (2026), I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve just signed a contract with Bloomsbury to publish a book on the sailors and song collectors who saved the sea shanty (due March 2027). I can’t wait to get stuck in! ⚓️🎶 #seashanties #maritime
December 19, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Hot on the heels of my first book contract with Palgrave MacMillan (2026), I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve just signed a contract with Bloomsbury to publish a book on the sailors and song collectors who saved the sea shanty (due March 2027). I can’t wait to get stuck in! ⚓️🎶 #seashanties #maritime
Fun to share ‘Did Shanties Begin in the 18th Century? Rethinking Dibdin’s Sailors and Maritime Song’ at the Music in 18th Century Britain conference today, hosted by the Foundling Museum. Oh, and I had to sing all my musical examples because the tech wasn’t working! #seashanties #maritimehistory
November 28, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Fun to share ‘Did Shanties Begin in the 18th Century? Rethinking Dibdin’s Sailors and Maritime Song’ at the Music in 18th Century Britain conference today, hosted by the Foundling Museum. Oh, and I had to sing all my musical examples because the tech wasn’t working! #seashanties #maritimehistory
Braving the weather to hop aboard the Cutty Sark for the last shanty festival of the year ⚓️🎶
#CuttySark #SeaShanties #MaritimeHistory #BritishWeather
#CuttySark #SeaShanties #MaritimeHistory #BritishWeather
November 23, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Braving the weather to hop aboard the Cutty Sark for the last shanty festival of the year ⚓️🎶
#CuttySark #SeaShanties #MaritimeHistory #BritishWeather
#CuttySark #SeaShanties #MaritimeHistory #BritishWeather
Had a fantastic weekend in London presenting my paper at the Popular Airs and Traditional Tunes conference (plus bonus matinee of Othello on the side). Slightly surreal to talk to people who I largely know from citing their works in my PhD thesis - thank goodness they were all lovely! ⚓️🎶 #TTPA2025
November 9, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Had a fantastic weekend in London presenting my paper at the Popular Airs and Traditional Tunes conference (plus bonus matinee of Othello on the side). Slightly surreal to talk to people who I largely know from citing their works in my PhD thesis - thank goodness they were all lovely! ⚓️🎶 #TTPA2025
Putting the finishing touches on my slides for the Traditional Airs and Tunes Conference at Cecil Sharp House next weekend! Can’t wait to hear everyone’s presentations - it sounds like a fantastic programme ⚓️🎶
October 31, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Putting the finishing touches on my slides for the Traditional Airs and Tunes Conference at Cecil Sharp House next weekend! Can’t wait to hear everyone’s presentations - it sounds like a fantastic programme ⚓️🎶
Still humming shanties after an amazing couple of days at the Harwich International Shanty Festival! So glad that I managed to catch The Keelers in conversation - such great stories (and voices, of course) ⚓️🎶 #harwichinternationalshantyfestival #seasongs #seashanties #maritime
October 11, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Still humming shanties after an amazing couple of days at the Harwich International Shanty Festival! So glad that I managed to catch The Keelers in conversation - such great stories (and voices, of course) ⚓️🎶 #harwichinternationalshantyfestival #seasongs #seashanties #maritime
My new article is out in Nineteenth-Century Music Review! ‘Hearing London’s Sailortown in Shanty Repertoire’ explores how 19th-century sailors’ songs reflect the noisy, lively, often precarious world of London’s docklands. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
#MaritimeHistory #Musicology #SeaShanties
#MaritimeHistory #Musicology #SeaShanties
Hearing London’s Sailortown in Shanty Repertoire | Nineteenth-Century Music Review | Cambridge Core
Hearing London’s Sailortown in Shanty Repertoire
www.cambridge.org
October 8, 2025 at 6:21 PM
My new article is out in Nineteenth-Century Music Review! ‘Hearing London’s Sailortown in Shanty Repertoire’ explores how 19th-century sailors’ songs reflect the noisy, lively, often precarious world of London’s docklands. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
#MaritimeHistory #Musicology #SeaShanties
#MaritimeHistory #Musicology #SeaShanties
Spent the weekend grappling with Medieval sources of shanty singing- swapping out last week’s Greek texts for Latin dictionaries. Looking forward to rolling up my sleeves for some deep manuscript work next weekend as I step into the Early Modern period #seashanties #maritimehistory #FromShiptoScreen
September 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Spent the weekend grappling with Medieval sources of shanty singing- swapping out last week’s Greek texts for Latin dictionaries. Looking forward to rolling up my sleeves for some deep manuscript work next weekend as I step into the Early Modern period #seashanties #maritimehistory #FromShiptoScreen
Stepping out of my 19th/20th-century comfort zone to explore proto-shantying in Ancient Greek and Roman sources. Largely relying on my schoolgirl knowledge of Greek (which I haven’t studied since I was 14) to get me through! #FromShiptoScreen #shanties #seasongs #οἶνοψπόντος ⚓️🎶
September 20, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Stepping out of my 19th/20th-century comfort zone to explore proto-shantying in Ancient Greek and Roman sources. Largely relying on my schoolgirl knowledge of Greek (which I haven’t studied since I was 14) to get me through! #FromShiptoScreen #shanties #seasongs #οἶνοψπόντος ⚓️🎶
A nice little summary of my Autumn/Winter research project (‘From Fo’c’sle to Footlights: Maritime Imaginaries in British Musical Theatre’) has just been published on the V&A website ⚓️🎶
www.vam.ac.uk/blog/news/va...
www.vam.ac.uk/blog/news/va...
V&A and Bunnett-Muir Musical Theatre Archive Trust award their first Musical Theatre Fellows and Grant Recipients • V&A Blog
When we invited researchers and practitioners to apply for the new Musical Theatre Research Grants earlier this summer, we could not have anticipated the breadth of exciting proposals we would receive...
www.vam.ac.uk
September 14, 2025 at 10:30 AM
A nice little summary of my Autumn/Winter research project (‘From Fo’c’sle to Footlights: Maritime Imaginaries in British Musical Theatre’) has just been published on the V&A website ⚓️🎶
www.vam.ac.uk/blog/news/va...
www.vam.ac.uk/blog/news/va...
Had a brilliant few days at the RMA Conference. I presented on London’s sailortown and shanty repertoire (no one criticised my map-drawing skills!), and had a great time reconnecting with colleagues. Can’t wait for Belfast 2026! @royalmusical.bsky.social
www.molliecarlyle.com/post/reflect...
www.molliecarlyle.com/post/reflect...
Reflections on the RMA Annual Conference 2025
The Royal Musical Association’s Annual Conference has long been a fixture in my academic calendar, and this year’s gathering in Southampton confirmed once again why it remains one of my favourite scho...
www.molliecarlyle.com
September 13, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Had a brilliant few days at the RMA Conference. I presented on London’s sailortown and shanty repertoire (no one criticised my map-drawing skills!), and had a great time reconnecting with colleagues. Can’t wait for Belfast 2026! @royalmusical.bsky.social
www.molliecarlyle.com/post/reflect...
www.molliecarlyle.com/post/reflect...
Following the Annual Conference, I’m delighted to share that I have been awarded a Royal Musical Association 150th Anniversary Fellowship! This will support the completion of my book: ‘From Ship to Screen: The Cultural Legacy of Sea Shanties’. Huge thanks to the RMA for this recognition! ⚓️🎶
September 13, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Following the Annual Conference, I’m delighted to share that I have been awarded a Royal Musical Association 150th Anniversary Fellowship! This will support the completion of my book: ‘From Ship to Screen: The Cultural Legacy of Sea Shanties’. Huge thanks to the RMA for this recognition! ⚓️🎶
Reposted by Dr. Mollie Carlyle
Speakers Announced!
For the two days of Traditional Tunes and Popular Airs Conference at @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social in November. Book your tickets now.
bit.ly/47sgL0e
For the two days of Traditional Tunes and Popular Airs Conference at @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social in November. Book your tickets now.
bit.ly/47sgL0e
Traditional Tunes and Popular Airs: Speakers Announced
The 4th Traditional Tunes and Popular Airs (TTPA) conference taking place at Cecil Sharp House, London, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 November 2025, brings together researchers working on ‘traditional’ and ...
bit.ly
September 8, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Speakers Announced!
For the two days of Traditional Tunes and Popular Airs Conference at @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social in November. Book your tickets now.
bit.ly/47sgL0e
For the two days of Traditional Tunes and Popular Airs Conference at @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social in November. Book your tickets now.
bit.ly/47sgL0e
I'm thrilled to share that I've received a £1,000 grant from the V&A/Bunnett-Muir Musical Theatre Archive Trust to write a new article: ‘From Fo’c’sle to Footlights: Maritime Imaginaries in British Musical Theatre’. Can’t wait to dive into the archives! ⚓ #VandA #TheatreStudies #CulturalHistory
July 31, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I'm thrilled to share that I've received a £1,000 grant from the V&A/Bunnett-Muir Musical Theatre Archive Trust to write a new article: ‘From Fo’c’sle to Footlights: Maritime Imaginaries in British Musical Theatre’. Can’t wait to dive into the archives! ⚓ #VandA #TheatreStudies #CulturalHistory
Here is the (very) short Q&A with me that appears in the official Tall Ships Aberdeen programme. I spoke about historical shanty singing and multilingual traditions. Proud to be credited as a maritime musicologist! #seashanties #maritimehistory #TallShips
July 22, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Here is the (very) short Q&A with me that appears in the official Tall Ships Aberdeen programme. I spoke about historical shanty singing and multilingual traditions. Proud to be credited as a maritime musicologist! #seashanties #maritimehistory #TallShips
Just returned from the Tall Ships Race in Aberdeen. Saw two ships Stan Hugill once sailed on: Belem and Sørlandet. It rained non-stop, but it was still a joy to be back in the city. www.molliecarlyle.com/post/tall-sh...
July 22, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Just returned from the Tall Ships Race in Aberdeen. Saw two ships Stan Hugill once sailed on: Belem and Sørlandet. It rained non-stop, but it was still a joy to be back in the city. www.molliecarlyle.com/post/tall-sh...
Glad to see that my new website is up and running! 🎉
Next week, I’ll be posting about the Tall Ships Race in Aberdeen (including my own involvement), so stay tuned.
www.molliecarlyle.com
Next week, I’ll be posting about the Tall Ships Race in Aberdeen (including my own involvement), so stay tuned.
www.molliecarlyle.com
Mollie Carlyle | Maritime Musicologist
Discover the academic research and contributions of Dr. Mollie Carlyle, a maritime musicologist dedicated to exploring the intersections of music, culture and maritime history.
www.molliecarlyle.com
July 16, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Glad to see that my new website is up and running! 🎉
Next week, I’ll be posting about the Tall Ships Race in Aberdeen (including my own involvement), so stay tuned.
www.molliecarlyle.com
Next week, I’ll be posting about the Tall Ships Race in Aberdeen (including my own involvement), so stay tuned.
www.molliecarlyle.com