The title of this piece ‘Tehom’ is the Hebrew word for the Deep or the Abyss. In August 2016 award-winning fantasy fiction writer China Miéville travelled to Bermuda to follow in the footsteps of American naturalist William Beebe eight decades before. He descended the depths of the Atlantic Ocean in a submersible which inspired a new essay describing the journey into the darkness of the ocean. Miéville also included accounts from early pioneers of underwater exploration and the reflections of eminent poets, philosophers and writers from across the centuries.

Listen to an audio extract of the acclaimed author’s essay

‘Tehom’ provides fascinating contexts into what remains unchartered territory. 50,000 beautifully designed copies of the essay were produced for visitors to take away for free during ‘Offshore: artists explore the sea’ at Ferens Art Gallery and Hull Maritime Museum. Visitors to the gallery and museum were also invited to listen to the audio extracts that are available on this page and that have been read by the author.

Image: © The expedition submersible that took author China Miéville on a descent into the deep ocean, courtesy of Nekton Mission and VRTÜL.