If you liked The Tidal Year, you'll like author Freya Bromley's new podcast, Character Study.

Everyone plays a character. But what does it really mean to turn your life into art? In this new podcast series, Freya explores how writers, artists and performers shape their character. Each episode, she’ll be talking to creatives of every discipline about the delicate art of finding inspiration in the everyday. From memoir to standup via autofiction and Instagram, what happens when we blur the lines between fact and fiction? These conversations explore how seeing yourself as a ‘character’ in your own story can unearth unexpected courage, compassion and curiosity. And maybe even a bit more self-reflection.

This podcast isn’t just for writers, it’s for anyone trying to make sense of their own story.

Series 1 guests include Emma Gannon, Hope Tala, Hannah Murray, Will Harris, Sharlene Teo, Sarvat Hasin, Ben Pope, Lucas Oakeley and more

📲 Follow @freybromley on Instagram for updates and to ask your questions

📚 Join Freya’s newsletter at freyabromley.substack.com for behind the scenes thoughts

🎙️And hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/character-study/id1896655831

#CharacterStudy #LiteraryPodcast #bookpodcast

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It's hard to capture the joy of swimming in words, let alone art, but Lizzy Stewart somehow manages it. This week's guest is the wonderful illustrator and author of the graphic novel Alison. We spoke about painting pools, Devon's beaches and the connection between creativity and water.

Follow:

@freybromley #TheTidalYear

@lizzy_stewart

Books:

Buy Alison: waterstones.com/book/alison/lizzy-stewart/9781788169059

Pre-order The Tidal Year: amazon.co.uk/dp/1399709674/

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When was the last time you stopped to notice the plants around you while you swam? This week's guest is Leif Bersweden, botanist and author of Where the Wildflowers Grow. We spoke about aquatic plants, where to find them and how to care for them.

Follow:

@freybromley #TheTidalYear 

@leifbersweden

@bsbibotany

speciesrecoverytrust.org.uk

Books:

Buy Where the Wildflowers Grow: amzn.eu/d/dP1mS6W

Pre-order The Tidal Year: amazon.co.uk/dp/1399709674/ 

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Let's talk about men's mental health! This week's guest is Tom Mason the co-founder of Blue Balls Cornwall, a cold water swimming group specifically for the men of Cornwall. We spoke about how cold water develops resilience, building a community and tidal pools.

Follow:

@freybromley #TheTidalYear

@blueballscornwall

Pre-order The Tidal Year: amazon.co.uk/dp/1399709674/

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This week’s guest is the author of one of my favourite books of 2021: Small Bodies of Water. Nina’s writing is lyrical and poetic. She blends memoir with powerful writing on the natural world. I’m not the only one who thinks so as she’s the winner of the Nan Shepherd Prize. We spoke about nature writing in multiple languages, pools from our childhood and transitioning through the seasons by swimming. Oh and the bird we’ve spotted at Hampstead Ponds is a Mandarin duck! 

Our chat becomes a little bit of a swimming book club, so I hope you’re looking for some reading recommendations including work by: Jessica J Lee, Mary Jean Chan, Hannah Lowe, Elizabeth-Jane Burnett, Polly Atkin and Robin Wall Kimmerer. 

Follow:

@freybromley #TheTidalYear

@ninamingya

You can buy Small Bodies of Water wherever you normally get your books.

Pre-order The Tidal Year: amazon.co.uk/dp/1399709674/

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