Posts by Ken McGoogan
Celtic Lightning: what happens at the Toronto launch . . . .
Our Hero and Patrick Crean. A writer and his editor. With HarperCollins Canada, we launched Celtic Lightning last night at Ben McNally Books in Toronto. Photographer Peter Rehak took the above shot. We signed a few books (right photo: Sheena Fraser McGoogan). And (below) Havard Gould made me do it . . . ? Author…
Read MoreExplorer John Rae lives! Still going strong at age 202. . .
In Stromness, Orkney, the John Rae Society will unveil a plaque this afternoon (Sept. 30) at the Hall of Clestrain on the occasion of Rae’s 202nd birthday. Born in 1813, yes! the explorer lives on. Awarded by Historic Scotland, the National Commemorative Plaque recognizes Rae for having solved the two great mysteries of 19th-century Arctic…
Read MoreWell, hello Vancouver! Wonderful to surface where I did my MFA. . .
Author Q&A: Ken McGoogan credits influence of Scotland, Ireland for what makes Canada Vancouver Sun September 25, 2015 In his new book Celtic Lightning, Ken McGoogan looks at the influence of Scottish and Irish immigrants on the new Canadian nation. McGoogan has written a dozen books, including 50 Canadians Who Changed the World and How…
Read MoreOur Hero is just some Joseph looking for love on Global TV
Our Hero looks a tad wary. Probably not a bad thing, given that, with the help of The Morning Show on Global TV, he was launching an air campaign. That’s how I have come to think of it, the media blitz that ensues — if you are lucky — with the publication of a…
Read MoreWhat do Celtic Life and Canadian Geographic have in common?
The answer to that question, judging from the October issues of both magazines, would appear to be timeliness and excellent editorial taste. In Celtic Life, we discover a one-page Q&A in which Our Hero talks about his latest book: “Unearthing my own roots inspired me to conceive of what I call “cultural genealogy.” Canadian intellectuals…
Read MoreCeltic Lightning strikes Ben McNally Books, sparks Oct. 1 book launch
Yup, that’s Our Hero in his kilt. He’s getting ready for Oct. 1 . . . Celtic Lightning . . . the Toronto launch at Ben McNally Books. The Canadian National Trust for Scotland Foundation is rounding up a piper. HarperCollins Canada / Patrick Crean Editions is laying on refreshments. Multitudes are vowing to turn…
Read MoreCeltic Lightning strikes author in hardcover, renders him shameless
The finished hardcover arrived today. And, all right, I stand besotted. The folks at HarperCollins Canada, led by Patrick Crean, have outdone themselves. Check out the final touches on the cover: the raised lettering, the glossy finish on the maple leaves, the tartan trim on the spine. The quality paper stock makes a big difference,…
Read MoreHalifax gets a dazzling library to go with a ground-breaking MFA
Hello, Halifax! Your new central library really is spectacular. It wasn’t here when I visited last August. I’m especially excited to see the Paul O’Regan Hall, in which, on Nov. 18, I will present my new book, Celtic Lightning: How the Scots and the Irish Created a Canadian Nation. Clearly, given the name O’Regan, that…
Read MoreWriting a book is tough work . . . but someone has to do it?
Here we see the Ocean Endeavour. Come September 5, we’ll board that vessel in Kugluktuk (Coppermine) and sail east through the Northwest Passage . . . all the way to Greenland, there to climb into a zodiac and wend among the most spectacular icebergs in the northern hemisphere. As the Adventure Canada historian on board,…
Read MoreThe Franklin-search tempest: adding pieces to the jigsaw
A few social media threads are following the Franklin-search tempest whirling around Paul Watson, Jim Balsillie, John Geiger, and The Lost Franklin Ships. This documentary, full disclosure, includes riveting footage of yours truly talking history (see left). Since the story broke, one researcher (Wolfgang Opel) turned up the Jim Balsillie letter that Watson quoted to…
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