Arctic historian Ken McGoogan approaches the legacy of nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin from a contemporary perspective and offers a surprising new explanation of an enduring Northern mystery.

Join us on Thursday, 26th October, for an in-person book launch with the author to ask questions and an opportunity to purchase the book.

Drawing on his own research and Inuit oral accounts, McGoogan teases out many intriguing aspects of Franklin’s expeditions, including the explorer’s lethal hubris in ignoring the expert advice of the Dene leader Akaitcho. Franklin disappeared into the Arctic in 1845, yet people remain fascinated with his final doomed voyage: what happened? McGoogan will captivate readers with his first-hand account of travelling to relevant locations, visiting the graves of dead sailors and experiencing the Arctic—one of the most dramatic and challenging landscapes on the planet.

Ken McGoogan is an award-winning and best-selling Canadian author who travels the world researching for his writing. He has published numerous fiction and non-fiction books, including several Arctic histories. His best-selling books include Dead Reckoning (Patrick Crean Editions, 2017), Fatal Passage, 50 Canadians Who Changed the World and Lady Franklin’s Revenge (Phyllis Bruce Books: 2001, 2013 and 2005). McGoogan has appeared in several documentaries to discuss Arctic exploration and is a fellow of the Explorers’ Club and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. McGoogan was born in Montréal and now lives in Guelph, ON.

Find out more about Ken and the book here.

When: Thursday, 26th October, 2023 – 7pm
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum, 1905 Ogden Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6J 1A3
Who: Recommended for ages 12+
Price: Free admission – limited capacity.