Counting Penguins: Peter John Watson with Katherine MacInnes

Peter John Watson is at Stanfords in Covent Garden on Wednesday 28 October, talking about his debut book Counting Penguins. He's joined by author and Antarctica expert Katherine MacInnes, and the whole thing is run in collaboration with the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, the charity that looks after Britain's Antarctic heritage and keeps an eye on the resident gentoo penguin colony.

Counting Penguins grew out of three months Watson spent as a wildlife monitor at Port Lockroy, a former scientific base on Goudier Island in the Antarctic Peninsula. It's also home to the world's southernmost post office, the Penguin Post Office. Watson is an adventure travel writer and runs the outdoor travel blog Atlas & Boots, and his work has appeared in The Guardian and National Geographic.

MacInnes is an author and Antarctica expert who's written Snow Widows, Woman with the Iceberg Eyes, and The Shortest History of Antarctica, which came out in October 2026. She's also been shortlisted for the Biographer's Prize. The two of them will be talking through the book, with the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust providing the context for the work they're discussing.

It runs from 7:00 to 8:30pm at Stanfords, 7 Mercer Walk, Covent Garden, WC2H 9FA, held in the basement and fully accessible via a nearby lift. There are two ticket options: £22, which includes the book and saves £6, or £8, which comes with a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink on arrival, with the book on sale that night at 20% off.