Why I swim: Polly Atkin

Polly Atkin can’t get enough sunlight, which is why outdoor swimming is ideal. Here she shares how the outdoor world feeds her soul and her work.

Tell us about your new book and why we will love it?

The Company of Owls is about finding companionship in the natural world, as I learn about, and with, the owls that live around my house in the Lake District. It’s mostly about some tawny owls that live in the woods in Grasmere, but I also sneak in some short-eared owls and some barn owls from further afield in Cumbria. It’s partly a kind of diary of owl observation, but also reflects on everything they make me think about differently: the dark, night wakefulness and insomnia, loneliness and connection.

What we can learn from owls?

So many things! Some that we might expect to find in wise owls, but are useful to be reminded of including resourcefulness, a keen awareness of surroundings, and how and when to adapt to changing conditions and when to remove ourselves instead. There are also things that surprised me about how the owls I watched related to each other, how they protected each other and watched out for each other, that I think are very useful lessons for us humans. I also really appreciate their stubbornness and stoicism. They get on with what they have to get on with.

How can we make the most of the night if we suffer with insomnia?

For me, the worst thing to do if I can’t sleep is to lie in bed worrying about it. Much better to get up and do something else, something gentle, that leans into the dark. I like to read or write by candlelight, or, if I feel well enough, go out for a walk and see what else is out there living its own life in the night.

You love to walk, swim and be outdoors, what does it give or do for you?

I often joke that I’m solarpowered, but I genuinely can never get enough sunlight. I always prefer to be outdoors on a bright day, wherever that may be, but to be outdoors in a wood or by water of any kind is both stimulating and soothing to me in different ways. I love to be in the water most of all – when I’m swimming I’m the most at ease in my body and least in pain that I can be, released from gravity.

Have you always loved to swim?

Yes, though when I first learned to swim I was terrified of putting my head under water, and it took me ages to feel comfortable with it. As soon as I did though, I never looked back, and swimming underwater is a perpetual delight. I’m so grateful to my lovely swimming teacher who persevered to make sure I could put my face in.

How does swimming inspire your writing?

Swimming is such an important part of my life and such a source of joy for me. It inspires me both directly and indirectly. I can’t imagine how I’d be in the world without it, and it helps me think. When I used to swim in pools more, the repetition of lengths became a kind of meditation that helped me write. Now I swim outdoors, it brings me all sorts of unexpected encounters and aesthetic experiences that directly feed into my writing, even when I’m not writing about swimming itself.

Where is your favourite place to swim?

I love Grasmere, my local lake (pictured above), because it’s my closest and most frequent swim, but my favourite spots are a few river pools that are harder for me to get to, but so beautiful. And many beaches I visit very rarely. In a more prosaic sense: anywhere I can swim safely is my favourite place to swim, especially if the sun is shining.

What does a typical day look like for you? Do you write every day?

Living with ever-shifting symptoms of chronic illness means there is no typical day for me – it very much depends on how I am, and how much energy I have for anything but basic functions. I write when I can, and when I have something to say. I’m a big advocate for not having to write every day.

You have written about chronic illness, do you have advice for anyone in the thick of it?

Trust your body and your reactions. No one knows you as well as you know yourself. Also remember you’re not alone. It may feel very lonely, but there are millions of people going through parallel experiences who can support you and provide much needed community.

Can you tell us about your next creative project?

I have lots of plans bubbling away, including a third poetry collection, but it’s likely my next published book will be a little book about swimming.

The Company of Owls by Polly Atkin is published by Elliott & Thompson in hardback at £16.99.