The Kevin Tester Award for Journalism
Journalist Alex Christian takes us through the making of a story that has won the inaugural award in honour of the late Kevin Tester, the IMarEST's former technical advisor and marine journalist.
The untold story of the big boat that broke the world was written by Alex Christian for WIRED magazine in June 2021.
Congratulations Alex on winning the Kevin Tester Award for Journalism. When did you start writing professionally?
My first writing gig was as a court reporter in 2013. I began reporting from tribunals, then eventually covered the Yewtree trials, terror-related hearings and white-collar fraud cases. I later moved to ShortList magazine. After many years of rewrites, editing, reading, thinking, analysing, interviews and transcribing, I gradually developed my longer-form storytelling.
Why did you write the ‘Untold story of the Ever Given’?
I was commissioned a next-day news piece for WIRED when the Suez Canal was first blocked, in March 2021 and managed to speak to two maritime and shipping experts, as well as an employee of a freight forwarding firm in Germany with cargo on the ship, write up a complicated narrative and file the story the following morning. Thankfully my editor really liked it and commissioned a longer-form read. Having the longer word count allowed me to set the scene more, and gave me greater scope to go into the minutiae as well as the wider-lens view of a current events story.
What did you want readers to take away from the longer-form article?
That the giant boat that blocked the Suez Canal, which immediately became meme-fodder – and they had probably forgotten about – was still stuck there months later for another reason. And that it was part of a wider crisis that actually affected their lives.
What inspired you as you were researching the piece?
A ship containing hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of cargo was detained for months – at the height of a supply chain crisis – because of a kafkaesque legal dispute. The Ever Given became the symbol of a logistical and global trade farce; its ripple effects were being seen around the world, from rising costs, to delays, to UK independent bicycle shops being out of stock. Writing about one boat in one stretch of water became the entry point to exploring the fragile, overstretched global shipping industry.
What challenges did you encounter?
Speaking to anyone on the Egyptian side. I lost count how many times I tried contacting the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) for comment. But even Suez universities with maritime experts, and local port-related businesses, never got back to me. Looking back, it’s not really a surprise: there was an active legal case worth nearly $1bn to the Egyptians; no one was going to speak to a UK-based journalist. Even Boskalis, the Dutch dredging experts hired by the SCA to initially free the ship, declined to comment.
What have you personally taken away from the story?
That the just-in-time delivery we take for granted – the Amazon parcel, latest pair of sneakers or cheap import from faraway seas – involves the complex work of everyone from seafarers, to crane operators, logistics experts to insurers, from port authorities to warehouse managers, delivery drivers and couriers. And all it takes is one fault for the whole chain to grind to a halt.
Will you return to this story again in the future?
Maybe not the Suez Canal (unless another boat ends up being stuck there), but shipping and maritime-themed stories – absolutely. Because of the nature of global trade, anything that happens at sea has arguably more impact on people thousands of miles away than, say, on land. It involves politics and governments, shipping company bosses down to the individual seafarers – the setting and the characters involved lends itself to storytelling.
What are you working on at the moment?
Much of my work sits at the intersection of culture, business and tech. Since the Ever Given story, I’ve written quite a few business stories for WIRED, as well as articles focused on the ever-changing workplace for BBC Worklife. Many pieces have followed the fall-out to the Great Resignation, the hiring crisis and the future of hybrid work. I’m fortunate to be able to write about the world of work when it’s at such an interesting crossroads. We’re seeing decades-old practices finally being experimented upon and tweaked.
Any maritime-related events captured your attention recently?
Yes – the events in Ukraine. I’m intrigued in seeing how Maersk pulling out of Russia – as well as wider naval sanctions – will impact not only the local economy, but wider trade.
Any writing tips for the IMarEST membership?
Every word should count. If it doesn’t add value, it shouldn’t be there.
Any parting words?
Feedback to the article has been very positive - and to receive an award from the IMarEST, a distinguished maritime body, came as a really nice surprise!
Read Marine Professional's latest article on Ever Given - Can shipping move on? Learn more about the IMarEST's Kevin Tester Award for Journalism honouring the Institute's former technical advisor and marine journalist. The 118th IMarEST president Kevin Daffey also marked Kevin Tester's passing with a one minute's silence at the IMarEST Annual Dinner.