The Tidal Year

Ports of Jersey is sponsoring a writer at this year’s Jersey Festival of Words whose memoir charts the healing power of wild swimming.

The Tidal Year follows Freya Bromley as she swims every tidal pool in mainland Britain after her brother’s death. The adventure takes Freya and her friend Miri from a pool hidden in the cliffs of Cornish fishing-village Polperro to the Scottish quarry lagoon of Abereiddi via the Trinkie, where locals meet each year to give the pool wall a fresh lick of paint.

As Freya travels further from London, she finds herself closer to memories of her brother. With every swim, and every stranger they meet in the water, the challenge becomes more than just a way to explore the coast, but a journey of self-discovery.

The Tidal Year depicts the healing power of wild swimming and the space it creates for reflection, rewilding, and hope. An exploration of grief in the modern age, it’s also a tale of loss, love, and sisterhood.

Jersey’s Harbour Master, Captain Bill Sadler, said: “We are very pleased to support Freya’s appearance at this year’s Festival of Words. The Tidal Year taps into a growing passion for swimming in seas, lakes and rivers as a way of connecting with others and improving both physical and mental health.

“The event is being held at the Lido, an appropriate venue for an exploration of how wild swimming can help people to heal while they experience the natural world.”

Freya Bromley

Freya Bromley is a writer, wild swimmer and podcaster who lives in London. On her podcast, ‘The Tidal Year’, Freya discovers the human stories about why we swim. Freya is currently studying on the Creative Writing Master of Studies at Cambridge University and has contributed to Lonely Planet’s The Joy of Wild Swimming: 60 Travel Experiences to Uplift and Inspire (2023).

Freya will be appearing on Saturday 23 September at 11am at the Lido, Havre des Pas

You can buy tickets for the festival at  www.jerseyfestivalofwords.org