SUNRISE swimmer Simon Parkin has released a book documenting his Covid lockdown sunrise swims and it is now on sale in Wellington.

Mr Parkin is a graphic designer from Tonedale, who, with his family, decided to venture to Beer in Devon to swim in freezing waters and catch the sunrise at sea. 

What began as an attempt to regain their sense of adventure became a monthly occurrence for the Parkin family as they started their ‘Sunrise Swim Club’.

However, as Covid restrictions crept in, the six swimmers fell to just one and Mr Parkin began to go alone.

Mr Parkin’s book The Sunrise Swim Club serves as a time capsule of those strange months and captures the ebbs and flows of daily life as new waves of coronavirus swept in.

Mr Parkin said: “It’s about what the sunrise means and why we chased it, about why we chose to immerse ourselves in bitterly cold water once a month and the shining moments the sunrise gave us.”

Mr Parkin was previously short-listed for the Bristol Short Story Prize for his story Oak and Bramble. Although he has written ‘bits and pieces’ in the past, this is his ‘first big project’.

His experience in graphic design ‘makes it easier’ to get self-published and each chapter in the book features one of his hand-drawn sketches.

He said: “It’s nice to have a book out there with my face on it.”

Mr Parkin is currently looking to expand into fiction and hopes to self-publish more of his writing in the future.

Mr Parkin still swims outdoors, particularly in Wiveliscombe pool and still frequents Beer with his family.

Wellington’s handmade pop-up shop, run by Alice Burns, currently has Mr Parkin’s book in stock.

Ms Burns says that they're 'happy to support him and all local businesses' and reiterates that ‘hopes are high’ for the book’s success. 

Ms Burns said: “Business is booming. We’re taken aback by the continued community support.” 

Although the book will only be available in the pop-up shop until Saturday, it can still be found in Bookshop by the Blackdowns and on Mr Parkin’s web shop.