Joe Minihane – författare

There's much more to Brighton than beaches and beer. We've gathered the very best that this seaside town has to offer, from where to get an exceptional cup of coffee to the top destinations for enjoying Brighton's culture and nightlife. Grab a single-origin brew at Bond St Coffee before browsing the thriving independent shops in the Lanes (don't miss Snooper's Paradise); take a bracing bike ride along the undercliff path; and be spoiled for choice with a wealth of buzzing bistros and award-winning pubs. This is part of a growing series of opinionated guides which offer no-nonsense insider's advice on what to do and see in Britain.

'Lovely, lively, passionate... a celebration of nature's ability to inspire healing and joy' Robert MacFarlaneIn the breaststrokes of Roger Deakin's Waterlog, this is the story of one man's search for himself across the breadth of Britain's wild waters.Joe Minihane became obsessed with wild swimming and the way it soothed his anxiety, developing a new-found passion by following the example of naturalist Deakin in his own swimming memoir. While fighting the currents - sometimes treading water Minihane swims to explore, to forget, to find the path back to himself through nature, and in the water under an open sky he finally begins to find his peace.Floating is a remarkable memoir about a love of swimming and a deep appreciation for the British countryside: it captures Minihane's struggle to understand himself, and the healing properties of wild stretches of water. From Hampstead to Yorkshire, Dorset to Jura, the Isles of Scilly to Wales, Minihane uses Waterlog to trace his own path by diving right in.

When it comes to swimming in the capital, we're spoilt for choice. Lane swimming doesn't have to mean drab, windowless, verruca-inducing sites of school sports lessons, and open water swimming doesn't always involve slimy encounters with fish and suspicious-looking algae: this highly opinionated guide includes only the very best places to derobe, take the plunge and unwind. Whether you want to clock up lengths, doggy paddle laps or relax with a cocktail and a view across London in Western Europe's highest pool, there's plenty here to dip your toe - or dive headfirst - into.