Swimming the Seasons
A Freshwater Almanac
$29.32
- Paperback
144 pages
- Release Date
7 May 2026
Summary
To swim is an act of attention: to the self, and to everything beyond it.
Follow poet and nature writer Polly Atkin as she swims through the turning year in the rivers, lakes and tarns of the English Lake District, in this lyrical ode to the uplifting power of water. This is a love story between a person and a place. It is a story of acceptance, persistence and finding joy in the everyday, as eight years of outdoor swimming through every season deepen Atkin’s knowledg…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781916812383 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1916812384 |
| Author: | Polly Atkin |
| Publisher: | Saraband / Contraband |
| Imprint: | Saraband / Contraband |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 144 |
| Release Date: | 7 May 2026 |
| Dimensions: | 111mm x 178mm |
| Series: | In the Moment |
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Critics Review
“Poet, memoirist, and nature writer Atkin reflects on a year of swimming in the English Lake District, elucidating in lyrical prose both the physical experience of moving through water and the month-by-month changes in flora and fauna… A poetic celebration of nature.”Kirkus
“Part memoir, part nature journal, and part exercise record, this is a gentle reminder of humanity’s connection to nature and the urge to bathe, sometimes literally, in its magnificent offerings…This book will reconnect readers with nature and encourage them to experience an occasional baptism in the bodies of water around them.”Library Journal
Praise for Polly Atkin:
Winner: Lakeland Book of the Year 2024 (Some of Us Just Fall)
Longlist: Wainwright Prize (Nature Writing) 2024 and 2025
“Beautifully written and densely observant … There is much food for thought in this wonderful and wholly original book.” Mail on Sunday on The Company of Owls
“This touching, gentle offering shows that, given a humble heart and willingness to stand still in Nature and look and listen, you can get closer to owls than you’d imagine.” Country Life on The Company of Owls
“A timely, lyrical and insightful exploration of the stories we tell about our bodies and how they influence our lives and sense of belonging. It made me yearn to revisit the Lake District and Grasmere … because her descriptions of her daily walks and swims were so beautiful. Perfect for fans of Sinéad Gleeson, Amy Liptrot and Olivia Laing.” Jack Clark, The Times on Some of Us Just Fall
“With a poet’s insight and a deep understanding of place, Atkin pulls us again and again to witness … I was immersed.” Katie Hale on Some of Us Just Fall
Polly Atkin
Polly Atkin is a poet and nonfiction writer, whose work focuses on nature, place, and disability.
Her poetry collections include:
- Basic Nest Architecture (Seren: 2017)
- Much With Body (Seren: 2021)
- Emergency Dream (Seren: 2026)
Her nonfiction works include:
- Recovering Dorothy: The Hidden Life of Dorothy Wordsworth (Saraband: 2021)
- Some Of Us Just Fall: On Nature and Not Getting Better (Sceptre: 2023 and Unnamed: 2024)
- The Company of Owls (Elliott and Thompson: 2024 and Milkweed: 2026)
She works as a freelancer from her home in Grasmere, where she co-owns Sam Read Bookseller.
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