Free Program, Ages 18+
No Registration Required
A Summer Reading 2026 Presentation

Local author and broadcaster, Ken Zurski, will take us through the past 14 years since his book, The Wreck of the Columbia, was released. From commemorations during the 100th year anniversary of the wreck, to a reader’s theater version of the book, to the filming of a WTVP documentary, Zurski chronicles this journey in stories and pictures that also features tales about his other books – like Peoria Stories, and the award-winning Unremembered series, which led to segments on C-Span and a trip to New York for an appearance on the History Channel.

Ken Zurski is a longtime broadcaster, author, and speaker, based out of Peoria, Illinois. A native of the Chicagoland area and a veteran of radio news, Ken released his first book, The Wreck of the Columbia, in 2012. Peoria Stories followed in 2014, and two Unremembered books, focusing on historical figures once famous, now forgotten. Ken resides in Morton, Illinois, with his wife Connie, two children, Sam and Nora, and dog Molly.