YEARS of painstaking research in the archives of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society will come to life in fascinating style in Helensburgh next week at the latest in the organisation’s series of ‘Inspiring People’ talks.

Over the past few years, the society’s writer-in-residence Jo Woolf has immersed herself in the organisation’s archives.

So much so, that last year she published her debut book The Great Horizon, which features 50 exceptional adventure stories from the last 150 years, each from an individual who is in some way connected to the Society.

From missionaries and mavericks to visionaries and voyagers, the explorers included in Jo’s book have ventured into unknown regions of the globe – across ice, desert, and rainforest, over uncharted waters, and into the unfathomed depths of the ocean.

Some are famous historical characters, such as Sir Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundson, Sir Edmund Hillary and Neil Armstrong.

But there is also an intriguing collection of additional names, such as Isobel Wylie Hutchison, Hubert Wilkins, Marion Newbigin and Mildred Cable, that are less well known but on whom Jo skilfully shines her light.

As part of the society’s Inspiring People talks programme, Jo will be bringing to life some of these characters and their stories in a richly illustrated presentation and question-and-answer session at the Victoria Halls in Helensburgh next week, entitled Beyond the Horizon.

The event will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday, October 25.

Speaking about her upcoming talk, Jo said: “I have been repeatedly amazed, moved, entertained, and uplifted by these remarkable stories.

“The definition of exploration may have been re-shaped somewhat over the decades, but the courage and enduring spirit of explorers is still the same.

“Having spent the last few years digging around in the archives of the RSGS, I want to share some of these extraordinary tales with you, and tell you how I came to write The Great Horizon.”

RSGS chief executive Mike Robinson commented: “As our writer-in-residence, Jo has delved deep into the RSGS archives and unearthed some truly fascinating stories from our history.

“We hope that the wonderful insights in Jo’s talk – along with her accompanying book – will encourage people to want to learn more about these great men and women, perhaps ultimately inspiring them to head into the wild on their own adventures.”

Tickets for next Thursday’s talk will be available on the door or online via Eventbrite until noon the day before. See rsgs.org/events for links and further details.

Admission to all the Inspiring People talks is free for RSGS members, under-18s and students; £10 for non-members; and £8 for Tiso Outdoor Experience cardholders.

The RSGS Inspiring People talks programme is produced in partnership with outdoor clothing and equipment specialists Tiso.