The Ice Sonnets
The Ice Sonnets, by Christopher James, charts Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-17) in poetry and sketches - one for each crew member on the two ships involved.
This was the most ambitious adventure of its kind yet conceived. The buccaneering Irish-born adventurer set his sights on becoming the first to cross the great white continent, from sea to sea.
Gathering his most trusted lieutenants from previous expeditions, Shackleton felt certain that this was his moment to make history. However, the crews were to be tested in ways they had not prepared for, and they experienced dangers and challenges at every turn.
The Ice Sonnets tells the story of not one, but two great escapes, and pays homage to the heroism and resilience of the crews, struggling to survive in life-threatening conditions.
We are scheduled to publish The Ice Sonnets on 1st December 2025 (Antarctica Day) and you can pre-order your copy here.
A selection of sketches from The Ice Sonnets
Christopher James, born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1975, has won first prize in the National Poetry Competition, The Bridport Prize, and the Oxford Brookes and George Crabbe poetry competitions. He has also received the Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors.
Having written three Sherlock Holmes novels, including 'The Adventure of the Ruby Elephants', Chris has also created a triptych of plays about Sir John Betjeman.
A graduate of the MA course in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, he has published five poetry collections, including 'Farewell to the Earth' (Arc, 2011), 'The Penguin Diaries' (Templar, 2017), and a pamphlet, 'The Storm in the Piano' (Maytree Press, 2022).
Poet, artist and Scout, Christopher James
Christopher James
