Ticketed Events
Coinciding with the installation of New Bedford’s permanent Herman Melville statue at Seamen’s Bethel, the festival brings together nationally recognized writers, scholars, artists, filmmakers, and local cultural organizations to celebrate New Bedford’s remarkable literary heritage.
Find descriptions for ticketed events below.
THURSDAY
3:00 PM | Virtual Talk on Works Inspired by Herman Melville
A virtual conversation, moderated by Ymelda Rivera Laxton, Curator of Contemporary Arts & Community Projects at the Whaling Museum. The talk will feature contemporary authors whose work has been influenced by Melville’s enduring legacy and will be followed by audience Q&A.
Featured Authors
- Elizabeth Doss — Playwright, Herman Melville’s great-great-great-granddaughter, and author of Poor Herman
- Xiaolu Guo — Novelist, filmmaker, and author of Call Me Ishmaelle, a contemporary retelling of Moby-Dick
- Phil Adamo — Author of Kill Ahab: Confessions of a White Whale
FRIDAY
1:30 PM | Symposium Begins
Featured Conversation & Audience Q&A
Naomi Slipp, Ph.D., Chief Curator & Director of Museum Learning, moderates a conversation with Adrienne LaFrance, Executive Editor of The Atlantic.
3:45 PM | Melville Scholars’ Roundtable
Moderated by Marina Dawn Wells, Ph.D., join a lively discussion with Melville Scholars:
- Bob Wallace, past president of the Melville Society, and co-founded the Melville Society Cultural Project at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in 2001.
- Mary K. Bercaw Edwards, professor of English at the University of Connecticut.
- Gerard Anthony McGowan, affiliated with the United States Military Academy at West Point.
FRIDAY
5:30–7:30 PM | Cocktail Reception & Visit to the Herman Melville Statue
Enjoy live music in the Lagoda Gallery before strolling across the street to the newly installed Herman Melville statue for photographs, and remarks by the sculptor Stefanie Rocknak, and special performances celebrating Melville’s connection to New Bedford.
SUNDAY
2:30 PM | In the Whale Film Screening & Conversation
Award-winning filmmaker David Abel presents In the Whale, the remarkable true story of a man who survived being swallowed by a whale. The screening is followed by a conversation with the filmmaker.
Melville in Our Seaport Weekend Schedule
Thursday–Sunday | August 13–16, 2026
Melville in Our Seaport is a four-day literary and cultural celebration honoring the enduring influence of Herman Melville and New Bedford’s defining role in shaping his most celebrated work. Through scholarship, conversation, performance, music, film, and community partnerships, the weekend explores the city’s continuing relationship with Melville while inviting audiences to experience his legacy in fresh and engaging ways.
It's a weekend you'll never forget in a city that changed the course of American literature.
See the full schedule below.
