Waterlog by Roger Deakin
Waterlog, by Roger Deakin
In 1996 Roger Deakin, the late, great nature writer, set out to swim through the British Isles. From the sea, from rock pools, from rivers and streams, tarns, lakes, lochs, ponds, lidos, swimming pools and spas, from fens, dykes, moats, aqueducts, waterfalls, flooded quarries, even canals, Deakin gains a fascinating perspective on modern Britain.
Detained by water bailiffs in Winchester, intercepted in the Fowey estuary by coastguards, mistaken for a suicide on Camber sands, confronting the Corryvreckan whirlpool in the Hebrides, he discovers just how much of an outsider the native swimmer is to his landlocked, fully-dressed fellow citizens.
This is a personal journey, a bold assertion of the native swimmer's right to roam, and an unforgettable celebration of the magic of water.
Our review
“When you enter the water, something, like a metamorphosis happens. Leaving behind the land, you go through the looking glass surface and enter a new world in which survival, not ambition or desire, is the dominant aim.”
In 1996, inspired by John Cheever's short story, The Swimmer, Roger Deakin set out to swim through the British Isles: the result being Waterlog, the only novel he published in his lifetime, that would go on to encourage the nation to take up wild swimming.
Imbued with brilliant prose describing the sensations of water on skin and the rush of seeing the banks and shore from within the wild waters, Deakin's journey through the various seas, lakes and rivers of the UK searching for wild swimming is at times wistful, reflecting on the many changes to our country and ways of life, but is ultimately a celebration of the wild waters throughout Britain.
Wild Reads Book Choice
Waterlog is part of our Wild Reads project in partnership with Suffolk Wildlife Trust, celebrating the connection between the natural world and the written word.
Enjoyed this title? Let us know what you think on Twitter by tagging @SuffolkLibrary and @SuffolkWildlife and using the hashtag #WildReads.
Supporting booklist
Inspired by Roger Deakin's Waterlog, this month's Wild Reads theme celebrates the wild waters found throughout Britain and how we can look after them. Explore our supporting titles on the wild waters which surround us.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust have shared a list of local natural landscapes inspired by Waterlog, showcasing coastal and open water areas featuring beautiful dykes, lakes and of course Suffolk's stunning coast line.