It’s a privilege to be asked to narrate any book, and bringing a new title to the world is always an honour. But then there are the books which already have a loyal audience - sometimes built over years, or decades.
Roger Deakin’s “Waterlog” is one such book. It charts the author's 18-month journey across Britain, swimming in open water through rivers, canals, moats, lochs, and whatever else piqued his interest along the way. But more than that, it’s a love letter to the water and the countryside, and to the quirky and idiosyncratic ways of the British islanders themselves. Think an English Bill Bryson, but in Speedos. (Or then again, perhaps not.)
Originally published in 1999, and largely credited for starting the (sometimes subversive/submersive?) “free swimming“ movement in the UK, the original audiobook was abridged to just under three hours (onto two audio cassettes, no less!) and recorded by Michael Kitchen, an actor whom I’ve always held in high regard. I wasn’t easily able to find a copy of Michael’s original, sadly, but I’m very much enjoying bringing my own voice to the 2021 version. Fittingly, for a book about open air swimming, it's "unabridged"…
“Waterlog: A Swimmer’s Journey Through Britain” will be out soon, wherever you get your audiobooks. Thanks to Tantor Audio.