Swimming Sydney is a tale of 52 swims in and around Sydney that take place over a calendar year. From Palm Beach to Cronulla, Mount Druitt to Bondi, Chris Baker swims at iconic beaches, municipal pools, harbour baths, tidal rock pools, bushland lakes and a backyard pool.

Taking his weekly plunges, Baker reflects on friendship, history and family, and how swimming can help us better understand ourselves.

Swimming Sydney is a valentine to the beautiful obsession of swimming in the world’s most beautiful city. It’s a book for everyone who loves swimming, who loves Sydney, and who understands that storytelling is the best way to navigate life’s emotional currents.

‘Part travel guide and part memoir, these 52 immersive essays – one a week – remind us how inextricably Australian culture is linked to water and our bodies. Immerse yourself and emerge invigorated, like the best swims leave you feeling.’ – Benjamin Law

‘Chris Baker may swim like a fish, but he also writes like a dream. Swimming Sydney is a beguiling portrait of love, loss, community and identity in the world’s most swimmable city.’ – Yves Rees