Three of the four editors of this book will examine some of the private correspondence of the officers and sailors who set out in May 1845 on Erebus and Terror for Sir John Franklin’s fateful expedition to the Arctic. These letters, from archives, libraries and private collections in the UK and overseas, are brought together for the first time in the book and provide a record of their progress in the first few months of the expedition. They provide a glimpse into the personal lives of the writers and reveal new insights that we weren’t aware of before. We will also look at some of the handwriting and difficulties of transcribing nearly 200 letters.

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Taking part will be

• Russell A. Potter, professor of English and media studies at Rhode Island College and the author of Finding Franklin: The Untold Story of a 165-Year Search
• Peter Carney who writes the Erebus and Terror Files blog and has had a lifelong interest in archaeology. He lives in Hastings, UK
• Mary Williamson, a descendant of Sir John Franklin and custodian of the family’s private archive. She lives in East Sussex, UK

The fourth editor, Gina Koellner, is not able to take part. She is an independent researcher of polar history with a focus on the Franklin expedition and lives in Hagen, Germany.