Cold Water Letters
An essay every Saturday: one swim, one thought and one small thing to notice in your own week.
Newsletter
Nov 7, 2026 · 6 min read
The sea was the colour of slate and I went in anyway, and this is what I found there.
Oct 31, 2026 · 5 min read
How a short walk to a slipway became the part of the day I think about most.
Oct 24, 2026 · 4 min read
A small thing that has nothing to do with swimming and everything to do with afterwards.
About
I started swimming in the sea one October because a friend dared me to, and I have not stopped since. I go down to the slipway most mornings, whatever the weather, and I write about it afterwards while my hands are still shaking. The writing began as a way to remember what the water felt like. It turned into a weekly letter.
The essays are not about being brave. Most days I do not want to get in, and I get in anyway, and the essay is what happens in the minute after that. I write about the body, the weather, the people who swim beside me and the small decisions that add up to a year.
I am not an athlete or a trained writer. What I sell is what I use: collections of my essays, a journal for noticing the seasons, a workbook for writing your own personal essay, and two video courses for people who have something to say and no idea how to begin.
Online course
Video course · 8 lessons
From a small moment to a finished essay you are glad to share, one short lesson and one task a week.
