We are delighted to announce the publication of "Lingua Franca – Towards a Philology of the Sea", the new special issue of the peer-reviewed journal “Philological Encounters”. It is edited by Michael Allan (University of Oregon) and Elisabetta Begnini (Università degli Studi di Torino), consisting of ten articles by Karla Mallette, Pier Mattia Tommasino, Maria Joana Gomes, Dwight F. Reynolds, Abdelkebir Cherkaoui, Elisabetta Begnini, Shaden M. Tageldin, Maria Elena Paniconi and Michael Allan.