With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking coming up in April, the community has a unique opportunity to hear the story of a survivor who was on board the ship when it went down.

On April 4, at 11 a.m. at the Wendell Mitchell Conference Center, Julie Williams will be speaking about her book, A Rare Titanic Family: The Caldwells’ Story of Survival.

While Williams was growing up, she heard the firsthand story of the Titanic from her uncle, Albert Caldwell, a survivor of the 1912 shipwreck.

“She was so captivated by his story that she wrote this book about his and his family’s experiences aboard the great ship,” said Mollie Smith Waters, an instructor of English, speech and theater at LBW.

NewSouth Books in Montgomery released the book this year in honor of the anniversary of the shipwreck.

“The most important part of the lecture is the fact-based account Julie will be able to give about real Titanic survivors,” Waters said. “Most people only know about the Titanic what they saw in the film by the same name. … People need to realize that this story is a lot more involved than what they have seen on the big screen.”

Williams’s presentation will consist of her dressing up in period costume, as well as presenting at least one photograph taken aboard the ship. Williams will also be available after to sign copies of her book.

“People should attend because Julie has done a lot of research about the work, and she truly knows her material,” Waters said. “She is well-known to be an energetic and enthusiastic speaker.”