Books, films and podcasts for swimmers

A forage’s calendar, tree spotting guide and lyrical insight into ancestral landscapes: what to read, watch and listen to this month. 

The Lost Rainforests of Britain, Guy Shrubsole

Britain was once a rainforest nation, but it has been ravaged and so most people don’t realise it exists. When Guy Shrubsole moved from London to Devon, he discovered a spectacular habitat that he had never encountered before: temperate rainforest. Entranced, he investigated the history, ecology and distribution of rainforests across England, Wales and Scotland. Temperate rainforest may have once covered up to one-fifth of Britain and home to wildlife, wizards, poets, druids and creations. takes readers on a journey through Britain mapping lost rainforests trying to bring them back. 

Wild Light, Angela Harding

With over 70 original illustrations, printmaker Angela Harding invites you to look at how the light changes the world around us, and how that changes us in its turn. A journey through 24 hours of collected memories of nature.

Listen to the Land Speak, Manchan Magan

A journey, through bogs, across rivers and over mountains, to trace ancestor’s footsteps and uncover ancient myths that have shaped our national identity and are embedded in the strata of our land.

The Forager’s Calendar, John Wright

From dandelions in spring to sloe berries in autumn, via wild garlic, samphire, chanterelles and even grasshoppers, our countryside is full of edible delights in any season. John is the country’s foremost expert to be your guide.

Tree-spotting: A Simple Guide to Britain’s Trees, Ros & Nell Bennett 

An illustrated guide to the marvelous and varied world of trees, and an introduction to the hidden secrets of 52 British species. Ros and Nell have combined their skills to guide us. 

The Wild Way podcast

Our December Swimterview personality Rebecca Beattie features on the new The Wild Way Podcast: Conversations On The Wild Way To Heal Your Soul. Hear how nature manifested in her life, her wiccan Path and about her book. Hosted by Gorse & The Wild founder Bryonie Baxter the podcast series shares stories of the seasons. 

Adventure+

A subscription video on demand platform that works in a similar way to platforms like Netflix, AppleTV+ and others – except this offers adventure films, live streamed events, magazines and more. There are currently more than 580 films are available and more films are being added every day!

The Swimmer

This beautiful and powerful short film tells the story of Walter Strohmeyer, who for almost all of his 90 years has been swimming in the waters off Long Island, New York. An honest and at times heartfelt story about the power of ritual and of the Ocean’s ability to rejuvenate us.

This article is from the January 2023 issue of Outdoor Swimmer. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.

To see all the online content from the January 2023 issue of Outdoor Swimmer, visit the 'Rest & Reflection' page.