Tales of shipwreck have always fascinated audiences, and as result there is a rich literature of suffering at sea, and an equally rich tradition of visual art depicting this theme. Exploring the shifting semiotics and symbolism of shipwreck, the interdisciplinary essays in this volume provide a history of the shipwreck motif in literature and art as they consider how depictions have varied over time, and across genres and cultures. Simultaneously, they explore the imaginative potential of shipwreck as they consider the diverse symbolism, and the many meanings, that have historically been attached to maritime disaster and suffering at sea. These literary and artistic traditions reach back into antiquity and encompass many canonical texts and artworks - including Homer, Shakespeare, Swift, and Coetzee in literature and Vernet, Turner, Gericault, and Nolan in art - that visit spiritual, political, and philosophical concerns. The volume spans both popular and high culture, outlining the most significant depictions of shipwreck in any given time-period, culture, or genre. This cross-cultural, comparative study engages with a wide range of disciplines to investigate the different representational traditions, and the different attitudes and assumptions, that surround shipwreck in different periods and cultures, and will appeal not only to those interested in literature and art, but also history, geography, international relations, and postcolonial studies.