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The increasing interest in 'coastal and Atlantic histories' have drawn historians' attention to the importance of port towns. The waterfront was the intersection of maritime and urban space and the port town was often a unique site of cultural exchange that both reinforced and challenged local, national and imperial boundaries.  This three day conference, organised by the University of Portsmouth and the National Museum of the Royal Navy and to be held in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, will bring together scholars from around the globe who work on maritime and urban histories.  THEMES INCLUDE: - Transnational sailortowns: regional, national and imperial boundaries and identities - Empires and Imperialism - Material cultures of sailor life - Civic culture and Urban elites - Naval ports and their cultural impact on the urban hinterland - Representations of port towns through history and heritage - Sailors as political icons and social actors - Crime and disorder - Popular culture and leisure - The three fleets (navy, fisheries and cargo): interactions between the local and global - Maritime and port town folklorePROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS Proposals should be submitted by 31 December 2012 Expression of interest and proposals can be send to Dr Brad Beaven (brad.beaven@port.ac.uk), Dr Mathias Seiter (mathias.seiter@port.ac.uk) or Dr Duncan Redford (duncan.redford@nmrn.org.uk)