The Feynman Challenge

A poetry collection that leads the reader into the wonders of scientific discovery and the intricasies of the natural world.

James Thornton is best known as the founder of ClientEarth, a not-for-profit law group that tackles ecological collapse. To be a lawyer for the planet, you have to understand your client. You need to appreciate the systems and connectives tissues that allow species to flourish and the Earth to stay in place. James's debut collection allows readers to follow him on what has been a lifetime of amazement pinned by understanding. Together we explore the natural world.

The collection’s title? Richard Feynman, the 20th Century’s most dashing physicist, set poets a challenge: Science is not just mystery but truth, and they should tackle it. From the mating of sea slugs to the discovery of gravity waves, The Feynman Challenge sees James Thornton focus poetry on the realms of science and environment. Poems are sourced with the scientific articles and papers whose narratives and wonders they explore, to help readers whose interest is spiked to travel further.

The collection opens with James's essay that examines the interplay of science, poetry and the natural world, from Lucretius to now.

About the Author

James Thornton is a writer, lawyer, and mould-breaking figure in the environmental movement. A novelist and essayist as well as a poet, he is the CEO of the ecolaw group ClientEarth. Client Earth, the story of his life's work, cameout from Scribe in May 2017.