HX Expeditions Names Katie Hale First Artist in Residence
Hale’s novel “The Edge of Solitude” was inspired by an HX voyage to Antarctica. Planned sessions include “Writing the Arctic” and “Quiet Writing” hours.
HX Expeditions has introduced its first Artist in Residence program, naming writer and novelist Katie Hale as the inaugural participant for selected 2026 sailings. Hale’s first scheduled residency is the September “Arctic Canada and Greenland Expedition — Circumnavigating Baffin Bay” voyage, where guests will be able to join writing workshops, creative sessions and onboard talks at no added cost.
The program adds a creative component to HX’s expeditions, which HX CEO Gebhard Rainer described as rooted in science, nature and exploration. Hale’s latest novel, “The Edge of Solitude,” was inspired by a 2020 voyage aboard an HX ship to Antarctica.
Rainer said the initiative gives guests “new ways” to experience expedition travel, adding that the company wants creativity to sit alongside its existing onboard programming. He said the program also supports artistic talent by giving artists a platform during HX voyages.
As Artist in Residence, Hale will lead workshops and informal writing sessions tied to the regions visited. HX named “Writing the Arctic,” “From Idea to Story” and “Quiet Writing” hours among the programming planned for guests, along with a talk and reading connected to her book.
“We come together through travel and through stories,” Hale said. “I want to give guests an opportunity to explore their own responses to this incredible region of the world through creativity and writing.”
The first residency places the program on an Arctic itinerary centered on Baffin Bay, part of the Atlantic-side approach to the Northwest Passage. The passage is a seasonal, ice-dependent network of routes through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, rather than a single channel.
HX said the Artist in Residence format will continue as a global annual program, with future editions inviting artists from a range of disciplines onto company voyages. The company has not yet named the next participants or additional departures beyond Hale’s initial residency.
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