A Swim with Freya Bromley & Margaux Vialleron
WithFreya Bromley and Margaux Vialleron
On:28th September 2024, 10:30am - 12:30pm
Join us in Portobello for a beach walk, a swim and a reading with authors Freya Bromley and Margaux Vialleron. If you think Freya's name is familiar, perhaps you came along to the swimming event we hosted with her back in August 2023. This time she'll be back alongside fellow writer Margaux Vialleron and you can join them both for a Saturday morning swim!
We'll be meeting at the bookshop at 10.30am before heading towards the beach where Freya and Margaux will read from their respective books, and finally we'll be taking a dip in the North Sea. You could even grab a coffee from our next-door neighbours, Tanifiki, before or afterwards!
Please bring appropriate clothing and gear for both swimming in the sea and for warming up following the event, as well as something to sit on during Freya and Margaux's readings.
Please note that The Tidal Year and Breaststrokes have already been published and if you purchase one of the Book & In-person Audience options and would like to receive your book ahead of the event on Saturday 28th September, please get in touch via our contact form and we will be happy to help.
About The Tidal Year:
In a bid to fill the empty space left by her brother’s death, Freya sets out with her friend Miri to swim every tidal pool in Britain in a year. The adventure takes them from a pool hidden in the cliffs of Polperro to the quarry lagoon of Abereiddi, via the Trinkie in northernmost Scotland where locals meet each year to give the pool wall a fresh lick of paint. The further Freya travels, the closer she finds herself to memories of her brother. With every swim, the challenge becomes more than just a way to explore the country’s furthest reaches, but a journey of self-discovery.
The Tidal Year is a story about 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 female rage, sisterhood and falling in love after loss.
About Breaststrokes:
Cloe and Gertrude and the Jenkins-Bell sisters, Mathilde and Sarah, have never met. They are strangers who share only a city. It is Sunday morning. Cloe has woken-up in someone else’s home; Gertrude starts her shift in the pub kitchen, while Mathilde and Sarah are on their way to lunch.
Soon, these four women’s lives will overlap.
Saturday felt like a normal day, but on Sunday the past will catch-up with them as they realise that there never is only one side to a story.
Sharply observed and painfully relatable, Breaststrokes is a novel that seems to emerge from the haze of our current time.
Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.
Participants:
Freya Bromley Author
Freya Bromley is a writer, wild swimmer and podcaster. She lives in London, just a short cycle from Brockwell Lido. On her podcast, The Tidal Year, Freya discovers the human stories behind why we swim. Every episode, she's joined by a new guest who shares what water means to them. Freya's currently studying on the Creative Writing Master of Studies at Cambridge University.
Margaux Vialleron Author
Margaux Vialleron is French-born, Glasgow-based writer, who is co-host of the SPK Book Club – a podcast, reading and culinary community. Her short stories and essays have been published in magazines including Harper’s Bazaar and Compound Butter. She is the author of The Yellow Kitchen and Breaststrokes is her second novel. Read more from Margaux by subscribing to her Substack newsletter, The Onion Papers, or connect with her on Twitter and Instagram @margauxvlln.
The venue
The Portobello Bookshop
46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA
Telephone: 0131 629 6756
Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com
Wheelchair Access
We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.
Sound
We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.