How We Live Now with Katherine May
By Katherine May
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Description
How should we live in this world when so much is changed? Katherine May, author of Wintering and the Electricity of Every Living Thing, asks those most intimate with the effects of these transformations: what now?
How do we stay soft in a world determined to harden? How can we bear witness to suffering without being dragged into despair? How do we ride the waves of our anger, sorrow and exhaustion, and still find space for wonder, hope and joy? How can we possibly help?
In a series of frank, thoughtful and deeply personal conversations, How We Live Now will explore the cultural, social and spiritual mindset for this long moment.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
| Episode | Date |
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Bonus episode: Katherine May on burnout and why we all need a little more wonder in our lives
46:15
We're in between seasons of How We Live Now and Katherine is in the midst of talking about her new book Enchantment in radio and podcast interviews. We wanted to share one of these conversations with you in the How We Live Now podcast feed. In this episode of The Shift with Sam Baker, Sam and Katherine talk about Katherine’s midlife autism diagnosis, why she believes we’re living through the burnout decade and how to wrest back control of our lives from our work.
Find all the episodes of the The Shift with Sam Baker here: https://podfollow.com/the-shift-on-life-after-40-with-sam-baker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Mar 15, 2023 |
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Ece Temelkuran on the politics of emotion
1:08:28
Turkish journalist Ece Temelkuran understands the problems of rightwing populism better than most: she lives as an exile, after her criticism of the Erdogan regime threatened her liberty. But despite the very personal toll that our current politics has taken, Ece remains optimistic. The seeds of a new society, she says, lie in communities, and the ways they find to come together. In this episode, Katherine and Ece discuss courage, truth and learning to befriend our fear. We also touch on the power of Twitter in the days before Elon Musk took over - so maybe a little of our optimism was misplaced! But Ece has a unique ability to put our current political conflicts into a global context, and her faith in grassroots action is redemptive. Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices. Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK Links from the episode:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jan 06, 2023 |
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Emma Gannon on understanding, not agreeing
1:00:11
Emma Gannon is a true digital native, a storyteller who finds creative inspiration in online communities, and who has sought a more thoughtful way to be in the digital spaces that so dominate our lives. In this episode, Katherine and Emma discuss what it means to be a digital citizen - the pleasures and the agonies of coming together in the ether, and the ways it can both warp and welcome connection. Emma’s is a nuanced take, emphasising our own agency within social media spaces, and inviting us to be thoughtful and disciplined, rather than reactive and addicted. Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices. Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK Links from the episode:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jan 06, 2023 |
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Jay Griffiths on the ecology of connection
57:23
Jay Griffiths’ writing has long explored the link between land, culture and our potential for connection, but her father’s death during lockdown made this more vital than ever. Denied the comfort or closure of a funeral, Jay had to find other ways to connect, mourn and memorialise, and in this gentle, wide-ranging conversation she and Katherine talk about imaginary journeys, ritual and delving into a sense of place. Behind all of Jay’s work is an ecological urgency, and a sense of grief for the life that we seem to be losing. Here, it’s expressed through the idea of homelessness, both literal and metaphorical. But she also introduces us to the character of Nemesis, offering us a model for justice that might just see us through the next decades. Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices. Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK Links from the episode:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jan 06, 2023 |
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Lama Rod Owens on necessary change
49:38
Many of us are enduring a painful new awareness of the conflicts that underpin our social relationships. For Buddhist teacher Lama Rod Owens, this is the beginning of a revolutionary path to our liberation - a necessary upheaval that will rebalance us forever. In this profound, perspective-shifting conversation, we are urged to stop looking for short-cuts and panaceas for our suffering, and instead to engage with the deep, transformative work of change. Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices. Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK Pre-order Katherine's new book, Enchantment, released March 2023: UK and US & Canada Links from the episode:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jan 06, 2023 |
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Simran Jeet Singh on Radical Interconnectedness
56:39
Being a Sikh in America gives Simran Jeet Singh a very particular insight into the divisions that run between us: on one hand, his visible differences have made him a target for racism; on the other, his religion emphasises the connectedness of all humans, and urges him towards compassion, forgiveness and love. In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, Katherine and Simran explore building empathy, seeing the divine in everyone, and how being forced to confront white supremacy has helped Simran to develop a language to challenge those who would attack him. The Sikh value of Chardi Kala is hard to miss here: the sense of everlasting optimism that propels him forward. Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices. Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK Links from the episode:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jan 06, 2023 |
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Priya Parker on gathering well
57:08
When it comes to getting together, Priya Parker turns our assumptions on their heads: gatherings, she says, benefit from firm rules and careful management, which allow us to relax more, communicate better, and come away feeling positive. It’s all about clarity of purpose. A lack of structure leads to chaotic and draining events, and may even put us in conflict. In this episode, Katherine asks Priya how we can learn to be in the same room again - whether it’s with colleagues, family or even complete strangers. For those of us who have found it tough to return to social spaces after the pandemic, this is a reassuring conversation, reminding us of the pleasures of meeting, and offering a blueprint for more enriching, less fraught, future gatherings. Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices. Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK Links from the episode:
Image credit: Photographer, Adam Ferguson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jan 06, 2023 |
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Susan Cain on the bittersweet & introducing How We Live Now
30:02
Susan Cain’s groundbreaking book, Quiet, taught a generation of readers to perceive and value their introvert qualities. Her latest book, Bittersweet is a song to the complex space between happiness and sadness. In this episode, Katherine talks to Susan about how she came to move so comfortably in the understated parts of life, and why the minor key is so beautiful. While we’ve been away, The Wintering Sessions have been undergoing a metamorphosis. Katherine talks us through the process of becoming How We Live Now, and offers us a peek at the season to come. Links from the episode: Susan's Links: Susan’s latest book, Bittersweet Katherine's Links: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Dec 19, 2022 |
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Raynor Winn on losing everything and finding home
37:27
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. Author Raynor Winn talks to Katherine May about the losing her home when her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and finding new life from having nothing. Raynor Winn has captured a multitude of hearts with her book, The Salt Path, which recounts the time she lost her home just as her husband received a terminal diagnosis. With nothing to lose, they set off to walk the South West Coast Path carrying nothing but a tent. Here Raynor reflects on that transformative time that redefined the meaning of home - and gives a welcome update on Moth’s health. We also hear about her book, The Wild Silence. I adored talking to Raynor about our shared love of the South West Coast Path, as I always do :) RAYNOR LINKS Raynor’s new book, Landlines KATHERINE LINKS Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Sep 15, 2022 |
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Leah Hazard on changing career after having her first child
51:46
While we take a rest over the summer, we’re sharing some remastered episodes from Season One, chosen by listeners. This week, I talk to Leah Hazard, NHS midwife extraordinaire and author of Hard Pushed, part memoir of Leah’s life on the labour ward, and part exploration of the current state of the profession. Leah is as funny, wise and warm in person as she is in print, and she talks about the life-changing decision to leave her TV career and train to be a midwife, and the moment when the stress became too much during one very busy night on the ward. References from this episode:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Aug 18, 2022 |
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Remona Aly on breaking an engagement, and the transformative force of grief
52:06
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. While we take a rest over the summer, we’re sharing some remastered episodes from Season One, chosen by listeners. In this episode, I speak to journalist and broadcaster Remona Aly about her life-changing decision to call off an engagement, and how it echoed through the years to teach her about forgiveness, faith and empathy. This is such a special one for me - I went to school with Remona, and I think you can hear our joy at reconnecting after a couple of decades, and feeling so at home in the process. We cover all of human life here: buckle in. We talked about:
REMONA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jul 21, 2022 |
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Emma Dabiri on history and belonging
1:06:29
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. Producer Note: You'll notice a slight change in Katherine's audio in the second half of the podcast. This is just due to a necessary 'source switch', where we had to change where her recording was coming from. Your ears will adjust very quickly but apologies for the ever so slight dip. Thank you! This week Katherine talks to Emma Dabiri, author of Don’t Touch My Hair and What White People Can Do Next. What begins as a conversation about Emma’s new-found commitment to appreciating all the seasons - not just summer - becomes something else entirely. Emma is one of our most agile thinkers and fearless speakers, and soon she is talking about everything from race and class to how we should think about the world right now. A thread of belonging runs through it all - how we seek and find it, how complicated our identities have become, and why it matters. EMMA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jul 07, 2022 |
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Saima Mir on marriage, dreams and late flourishing
52:11
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. 'I am my childhood’s wildest dream,’ says Saima Mir. This episode is about the process of getting there, not just the determination and hard work, but also the intangibles: the beliefs, ambitions and understandings that you don’t even know how to articulate, but which hold you up on a decades-long journey to becoming. In this conversation, the journalist and bestselling novelist talks about shame, failure, the experience of being gossiped about - but also the inner strength and family support that allowed her to reinvent herself after leaving her first two husbands. Saima came late to journalism, but forged a successful career on TV and in print before writing her genre-changing (or will it be genre-defining?) novel, The Khan. Here, she surveys that pathway to this place, and how it built her iconic character, Jia Khan. We talked about:
SAIMA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jun 23, 2022 |
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Ross Gay on delight
51:20
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week, Katherine talks to Ross Gay about finding delight in dark times. Ross’s practice of writing down a daily delight - a small surprise or pleasure that might otherwise go unnoticed - is the foundation of The Book of Delights, his bestselling essay collection. Here, he talks about the way that delight can sit alongside our fear, anger, frustration and grief, not to block them out, but to find a way to survive them. Along the way, we touch on fleeting moments of human connection, the joy of tending a garden, and childlike art of noticing. In a first for The Wintering Session, Ross closes with a beautiful reading that meditates on the softness of living in a male body. We talked about:
ROSS LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jun 09, 2022 |
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Aja Barber on getting dressed
56:20
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week, Katherine asks Aja Barber how we can change the way we buy clothes. Many of us have an uneasy feeling about the clothes we buy and wear. Although we know that there are ethical issues with their production, few of us understand how to change our behaviour, and make better choices. As a stylist and fashion consultant, Aja makes it her business to understand the whole supply chain, from raw materials to disposal. There are some dark stories to absorb, but there’s also plenty of hope: Aja shows that the change starts with us, and with the joy we find in the garments we love. We also talk about Aja’s path to the work she does now, and her beautiful practice of getting dressed on Instagram. She can teach us so much about about learning to love our own bodies, and to cherish our old clothes. We talked about:
AJA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
May 26, 2022 |
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Joanne Limburg on reclaiming weird
57:10
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to writer Joanne Limburg about the ways that we can find connection in the experience of outsidership. While writing her astonishing new book, Letters To My Weird Sisters, Joanne sought out women from the past who were marked out as ‘weird’, from Virginia Woolf, who was unable to choose the ‘right’ ballgown, to Katharina Kepler, who was put on trial for witchcraft. Drawing on her Jewish heritage, Joanne urges us all to assert the humanity of those who seem unfathomably different to us - the physically and intellectually disabled people who were considered to be ‘life unworthy of life’ in the Holocaust. There is so much hope in Joanne’s project to own and cherish her own ‘weirdness’, and to find a kind of sisterhood there, stretching across time. Many listeners will find their community here, too. JOANNE LINKS Letters To My Weird Sisters: On Autism and Feminism KATHERINE LINKS Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
May 12, 2022 |
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Cole Arthur Riley on "We did good"
1:12:56
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to writer and poet Cole Arthur Riley, author of This Here Flesh and creator of Black Liturgies. Unable to speak up as a child, Cole talks about how she learned to find her voice amid a family of gifted talkers and storytellers. Cole describes her father and grandmother as inspirational figures who nevertheless were marked by the generational trauma experienced by so many African Americans. But from this emerges Cole’s own, unique spiritual account of the world, overseen by a God who lives in our hurting, imperfect bodies, and who sees us as we are. Cole is one of the most lyrical, perceptive and moving writers of her generation, at once cerebral and earthly, and always rooted in the body. We talk about Cole’s hair turning grey as a child, her wise grandmother and inspirational father, and the moments when she came to realise that both of them needed her care. COLE LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Apr 28, 2022 |
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Alexandra Heminsley on inhabiting a female body
57:37
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to journalist and writer Alexandra Heminsley, author of Some Body to Love. After infertility treatment, a challenging pregnancy and a sexual assault, Alex found her relationship drifting apart for reasons she couldn’t fully understand. But when her partner finally disclosed that they wanted to transition to being a woman, Alex had to come to terms with something she never expected: being part of a LBTQIA+ family. In this conversation, she explores her compassionate response to her former partner’s needs, how it has changed her viewpoint on life, and how life can be remade in the face of the unexpected. ALEXANDRA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Mar 25, 2022 |
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Meghan O' Rourke on the invisible kingdom of chronic illness
1:05:40
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to poet and author Meghan O’ Rourke. In a fascinating conversation with Katherine, Meghan talks about the struggles she’s endured (and endures) with chronic illness. As she mentions in the episode, there is an invisible quality to many forms of illness which makes it very hard to navigate and manoeuvre through, and we hear all about the difficulties faced when consulting with doctors, dealing with it in our heads, and living with it in the company of loved ones - but again, as you will have come to know from past episodes - silver linings and positivity floods throughout, and it’s a journey that will fill you with light and goodness. MEGHAN LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Mar 11, 2022 |
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Sara Tasker on hyperfocus, exhaustion and finding the new normal
1:08:10
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Sara Tasker, writer, social media expert and coach. While you might expect a full on party-popper celebration of social media from someone like Sara - an expert within the realm, this is a very honest chat which takes many entirely relatable routes and tangents which surely many of us can relate to. Sara and Katherine also connect on matters of the neurotypical and neurodivergent, involving Sara's own ADHD and hyperfocus and how that sews its thread into the fabric of her life and career. Really it's a just a perfect non-stop whirilwind of a conversation which flows freely, breezily and easily, with uplifting and positive navigation points for all while being straight up and down to earth. With so many jump-off points and natural detours, it's hard to summarise so just leap in with confidence, and enjoy. It's a goody...! SARA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Feb 25, 2022 |
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Gemma Cairney on conducting energy with balance and motion
1:08:45
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Gemma Cairney, presenter, curator of greatness and author of ‘Open: A Toolkit...’ and more. There's a strong chance you're familiar with Gemma through her prolific radio and broadcast career, but if not - as you've surely come to notice over the Wintering podcast - you're about to meet another new best friend. Gemma's been grinding and hustling since the early days of her media work which kicked off at the BBC, and Katherine checks in with her at a point in her life where so many of the experiences along the way are truly forming some epic life chapters which have to be heard. What you'll hear in this episode is a spirit of turning lemons not only into lemonade, but an amazing lemon salad dressing as well as some incredible lemon jewellery too. From a whirlwind which synchronised around the time of the early days of the pandemic, this is a glorious and uplifting chat where we find Gemma at a reflective, wise and refreshed place. You'll enjoy it as a fan of Gemma or as a newly acquainted listener - and in either case, have a look at what she's been up to in case you've missed anything (including a ton of sea swimming of course). Wintering Sessions listeners, please enjoy! GEMMA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Feb 11, 2022 |
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Aimee Nezhukumatathil on nurturing wonder through nature
52:39
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of ‘World Of Wonders’ and more. An uplifting, soulful and inspiring chat with Aimee and Katherine, beginning with a foundation of wonder and never dropping the ball once. Moving from prose to poetry and immediately feeling boundaries being lifted, Aimee has put out some truly valuable work into the world and this is a perfect opportunity to get to the heart of it all. As always, it branches out into some rich areas including the juxtaposition of memoir and nature, enforced patriotism as a child, the gradual introduction of cultural reference while growing up, seeing the restrictive attitudes of the 80’s dissolving through generations, examples of harnessing the outdoors and nature from her parents and her geography being shaped by their professions, making your own entertainment, moments of wonder and how children can help trigger them in adults through example, the luxury of time in enjoying the outdoors and so much more to enrich your day. AIMEE LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jan 28, 2022 |
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Elissa Altman on navigating the Motherland
54:30
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Elissa Altman, author of ‘Motherland’ and more. Katherine finds Elissa in that pre-Christmas zone, which serves as the perfect jumping-off point for a very upfront, candid and fascinating conversation on family. Specifically, Elissa's relationship with her mother. Like every family, it's a relationship which is unique and comes with its own inimitable history, and as such, informs where the two find themselves this present day, and it's a wonderful thing to hear Elissa talk openly about all that is contained within this box of memories and present moments. In addition, Elissa catches up with Katherine about the New England Winter, being a feeder, her relationship with her father, mental wellbeing, getting out of the 'swamp' via nature and its grounding properties, rediscovering and reprocessing her musical proclivities, and all with a real glint and sparkle. ELISSA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jan 14, 2022 |
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Maggie Smith on the mutual reflection of poetry
48:54
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Maggie Smith, poet, writer and editor from Columbus, Ohio. You may know Maggie's tremendous work via her poem 'Good Bones', which she has a difficult relationship with. The poem is often referenced in times of crisis, which she thinks of as a 'disaster barometer' - she break downs this fascinating dissonance in her chat with Katherine, which reaches a wide range of topics including metpahor, the 'tasting' approach to culture, her own range of published works, America's history of being unsafe for many, being honest with children, how younger people understand pronouns so well, the divorce whisperer, prose, how the content dictates the container, the act of physically writing on paper, seasons and the beauty in the decay of Fall. So much to inspire and invigorate. A delight. MAGGIE LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Dec 31, 2021 |
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Cheryl Strayed on walking through the wilderness
54:12
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Cheryl Strayed, author of ‘Wild’ and so many more. A luxurious chat from the beginning til the end, this is a wonderful chance to get to know Cheryl a little better and hear the voice behind the books. It’s a true comfort, which folds in everything from the power of walking and what it can do to you, the unfinished walk, the male narrative and damage on all sides, finding the ‘off’ button for our brains and whether such a thing is achievable, brainfog, her ‘Dear Sugar’ advice columns and discovering the human ‘standard set of problems’, and not being scared by the wilderness in which she grew. Lovely, and nourishing too. Quick note: Katherine mentioned heliotropic breathwork, which she immediately noted was 'holotropic' - just in case you pick up on that! CHERYL LINKS Main site (all books listed here) KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Dec 20, 2021 |
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Jennifer Pastiloff on the power of 'I Got You'
1:02:46
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Jennifer Pastiloff, a speaker, teacher, and author of ‘On Being Human’. In a warm and honest chat with Katherine, Jennifer perfectly lays the table for where she finds herself at this point in time, as a yoga instructor, public speaker and best selling author. With an attitude of ‘I Got You’ - extended to a community which she has cultivated with care over time - she has learned to transform her own feelings of shame towards her deafness, and earlier moments of trauma in her life. It’s an episode which offers effective solutions within, and inspiring thoughts on behaviours, being misunderstood, and ‘silencing the inner asshole’, as well as overlaps with deafness and autism, and being a founder of a movement known as ‘Shame Loss’. JENNIFER LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Dec 10, 2021 |
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Jackee Holder on the good things in life
56:44
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Jackee Holder, coach and author of 'Writing With Fabulous Trees', among many more. Jackee Holder is a writer, walker, coach, interfaith minister and daughter of the windrush. In this uplifting conversation, she talks about the capacity of life to uplift us, her love of libraries, and how a tree helped her to treasure her name. Hear Jackee expand too on her introvert / extrovert sides, rituals and body prayers, seasons and trees and nature metaphors, having skeletons on full display rather than in the closet, Enid Blyton, 'pouring libation', her superhero mother with hidden sea skills and a huge amount more in what Jackee herself refers to as a 'campfire chat'. A lovely and perfectly fitting finalé to season 2 of The Wintering Sessions! JACKEE LINKS Parable Of The Sower (Octavia Butler) KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
May 06, 2021 |
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Michelle Adams on how life can change in an instant
38:55
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to author Michelle Adams. Michelle Adams is best known as the author of Little Wishes, Between the Lies and My Sister. In this episode, she talks about a sudden and unexplained illness that disrupted everything she knew about herself, and how vital her support network became during that time. In other areas of this open and honest chat, Michelle also expands on her love of podcasting over the written interview, allergy season in Cyprus where she and her family make their home, the whole process of her life being shaken up through her experience, reflections with the clarity of time and so much more which will give you a glorious insight into her character. MICHELLE LINKS Katherine on Michelle's podcast Beyond Words KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Apr 29, 2021 |
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Angela Barnes on the continual winter of Persistent Depressive Disorder
1:07:37
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Angela Barnes, podcaster, comedian and regular panel guest on Mock The Week (and much more!). Angela Barnes has zero tolerance for anyone reassuring her that she's pretty - it talks over her lived experience, and does nothing to change her self-perception. Here, she discusses living with Persistent Depressive Disorder, which has made her whole life feel like the drizzly English climate, but which has also made her more able than most to endure the hard-knocks life of a stand-up comedian. A very cheerful chat which always zeroes in on the important points with lazer focus, picking up on where Angela is in the greater pandemic situation, working with her PDD, building daily frameworks, having a comedy tribe which normalizes certain behaviours and actions, fear of rejection, CBT, entitlement, TV, the perils and - well, perils of social media, and the notion of beauty on a grand scale. ANGELA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Apr 22, 2021 |
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Josie George on the joy of small things
36:33
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Josie George, author of 'A Still Life: A Memoir'. Josie George has always lived with a complex of medical conditions that are difficult to name, but which leave her permanently in pain and having to carefully manage her mindset and energies in order to cope with everyday life. Here, she talks about the joys she finds in small things, and the vibrant appreciation for life that her restrictions have given her. An upfront and positive chat in which Josie goes into her history with health, illness versus wellness, forms of gaslighting taking place through diagnoses, spiralling but maintaining forward motion, adapting to change rather than stopping, maintaining presence and tuning into frequencies of mindfulness. JOSIE LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Apr 15, 2021 |
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Georgina Lawton on growing up Black in a white family
36:20
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Georgina Lawton, author of 'Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong'. For most of her life, Georgina Lawton was aware that she didn't look like her white family, but by her teens, she was no longer able to believe her parent's line that she was a genetic 'throwback' to a Black ancestor. In her memoir, Raceless, she writes about the painful process of forging a Black identity from scratch, and the painstaking work of repairing her relationship with her mother after years of denial. A really lovely chat which branches out onto areas including her Surrey upbringing, the sense of confusion in her early years, the experience of receiving racial comments more often as she grew up, finding friend groups, her amazing perspective shifts through travel, and her strategies in breaking down her racial origins - she has developed numerous versions depending on the situation. A fascinating look at family, friends and society. GEORGINA LINKS Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Apr 08, 2021 |
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Tanya Shadrick on learning that life is short
45:41
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Tanya Shadrick, author of 'The Cure For Sleep'. A few days after giving birth, Tanya found herself in an ambulance, barely clinging to life. But surviving that terrifying experience changed everything. In this conversation, Tanya talks about how facing death made her bolder, more certain of her ambitions, and more determined to become a writer. And it also left her able to help other people who were nearing the end of their life. Tanya lets us all in on a number of very personal moments in her life, and details how she found a route through it all at times when obstacles seemed unsurmountable. From sudden clarity, to life-changing impulses, to being of service and of course her own writing studies (including the mile-long journal), it's an intimate and ultimately uplifting and inspiring journey. TANYA LINKS Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Apr 01, 2021 |
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Zeba Talkhani on surviving online abuse
53:02
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Zeba Talkhani, author of 'My Past Is A Foreign Country'. Growing up as an Indian Muslim in socially-repressive Saudi Arabia, Zeba Talkhani learned her feminism young, unable to stop questioning the restrictions on her thoughts and personal freedoms. But after writing a memoir of her experiences, she encountered a backlash that she could never have expected. Here, she talks about how she came to terms with the abuse she received after publication, and how it brought her closer to her mother. Zeba and Katherine also touch upon and go in on topics including the patriarchy and how the West can use other countries as a metric for its power, the pressure in securing a husband and how it affected her very early life, how one encounter in a school hall has stayed with her, the acknowledgment of privilege, personall fallout after receiving preview copies of her book, and the beauty and joy of finding writing again. ZEBA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Mar 26, 2021 |
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Sara Ryan on grief, justice and righteous anger
54:25
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Sara Ryan, author of 'Justice For Laughing Boy'. After Sara Ryan's autistic son, Connor, was sectioned and admitted to a residental mental health unit, there seemed to be no way to get him out again. And then, one morning, he died after having an epileptic seizure in the bath. Convinced that negligence was to blame, Sara began a campaign that not only brought the local authority to justice, but also put Connor's humanity at the front and centre. Sara talks about righteous anger, the urgent need for change in our care system, and how friends and family can help you to endure. A moving and intimate conversation which balances unflinching honesty and grief with levity and grace, and one where you'll come away with a real feeling of closeness to Sara and Connor. There are tough moments, but Sara has come through an experience with hard-earned wisdom and as such, it's an inspiring journey with positives along the way. SARA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Mar 12, 2021 |
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Marlee Grace on journeying to the center
34:19
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Marlee Grace, author of 'Getting To Center'. In this frank and wide-ranging conversation, Marlee Grace talks about the process of finding a life that makes you happy. Drawing on her book 'Getting to Center', she talks about finding love, living with addiction and the ongoing quest to find balance in life that's led to her decision to leave Instagram (at least for a while). It's fascinating to hear Marlee's take on social media at a time when so much of life is being maintained online, and when mental wellbeing is very much at the forefront of our conversations. Marlee also opens up about creating real life connections, her many other works, the strength found and nurtured in her own relationship through tough times, how those in relationships have managed through the pandemic, 'the dance of intimacy' and 'sacred union', social media projections not being aligned with real life, coping through frozen dinners and "How Intimately Powerful The App Is" (her Post-It mantra). MARLEE LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Mar 05, 2021 |
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Nicola Slawson on being alone in Berlin
41:41
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Nicola Slawson, journalist and founder of 'The Single Supplement'. Through her newsletter The Single Supplement, Nicola Slawson has become the poster girl for a happy life lived alone. But much of her success lies in her ability to write honestly and with balance about the single life - and here she talks about a period of extreme loneliness after taking a dream job in Berlin. This is a story of finding your own path through difficult times. An upfront and honest take on her experiences in journalism and travel, in which Nicola talks about loneliness versus being single, her journalism training, waves of depression which were magnified through situation and location, the toll that reality can take on journalists, confronting echo chambers, spirals, imposter syndrome and being 'Queen Of The Hustle'. NICOLA LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Feb 26, 2021 |
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Michele Harper on the calling to work in ER
36:52
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Michele Harper, author of 'The Beauty In Breaking'. Michele Harper's career as a physician is a true vocation - the result, she says, of a childhood spent with an abusive father. In this conversation, she and Katherine talk about the nature of her calling to help, and her experience of racism in the workplace, where she has found herself both on the receiving end, and taking the role as a defender of her Black patients. Underlying it all is a mission to bring about change. Hear Michele also expand on how nothing feels strange anymore through her incredible experience dynamic, her personal toolkit for managing her day a piece at a time, her own upbringing and how it energised her own intuitions and instincts in the ER environment, spiritual and mental health, societys felief valves, and her own seemingly unending optimism. MICHELE LINKS KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Feb 19, 2021 |
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Kerri Ni Dochartaigh on healing the trauma of The Troubles
43:56
Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May. This week Katherine chats to Kerri Ni Dochartaigh, author of 'Thin Places'. Kerri talks in detail about the aftermath of growing up in Derry at the height of the Troubles, as the daughter of a Protestant father and a Catholic mother. Forced to come to terms with trauma and survivorship guilt, Kerri found healing in the dark magic of the Irish landscape and Celtic mythology. In a wide ranging conversation, she and Katherine cover ground including relationships, names, unidentified and hidden grief, authoring a redemptive book, the role places play in trauma, nature, the honest and the healed self, and a friendly sonic interruption from a chimney being swept (which remains, as Kerri weaves it in masterfully). KERRI LINKS More information on The Troubles KATHERINE LINKS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Feb 12, 2021 |
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Sophia Blackwell on a lost time between two loves
37:24
In this episode, I speak to poet, novelist and broadcaster Sophia Blackwell about the time when a relationship brutally ended, leaving her flailing around to find a sense of home. Sophia discusses the experience of relationships when you've known you were gay since childhood, and shares the romantic story of meeting her wife. You can find Sophia on Twitter: @sophiablackwell Her website - including links to her books and radio show - is here: https://www.sophiablackwell.co.uk/ To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on Twitter, Instagram and Substack: http://katherine-may.co.uk For information on Katherine's online writing courses, go to: https://katherine-may.teachable.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Sep 01, 2020 |
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Remona Aly on breaking an engagement and the transformative force of grief
44:29
In this final episode of Season One, I speak to journalist and broadcaster Remona Aly about her life-changing decision to call off an engagement, and how it echoed through the years to teach her about forgiveness, faith and empathy. This is such a special one for me - I went to school with Remona, and I think you can hear our joy at reconnecting after a couple of decades, and feeling so at home in the process. We cover all of human life here: buckle in. I'll be back in the autumn with more brilliant writers sharing their wintering experiences. Make sure you subscribe so you can be the first to hear them. Thank you for listening so far! :) You can find Remona on:Twitter: @remonaalyInstagram: @remonaaly You can read her journalism at: https://remonaaly.com/articles/ For information on Katherine's online courses, go to: https://katherine-may.teachable.com/ To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on Twitter, Instagram and Substack: http://katherine-may.co.uk/links/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Aug 04, 2020 |
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Raynor Winn on losing everything and finding home
35:41
Author Raynor Winn talks to Katherine May about the losing her home when her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illess, and finding new life from having nothing Raynor Winn has captured a multitude of hearts with her book, The Salt Path, which recounts the time she lost her home just as her husband received a terminal diagnosis. With nothing to lose, they set off to walk the South West Coast Path carrying nothing but a tent. Here Raynor reflects on that transformative time that redefined the meaning of home - and gives a welcome update on Moth's health. We also hear about her forthcoming book, The Wild Silence. I adored talking to Raynor about our shared love of the South West Coast Path, as I always do :) You can find Raynor on:Twitter: @raynor_winnInstagram: @raynor.winn Her forthcoming book, The Wild Silence, is out in September. For information on Katherine's online courses, go to: https://katherine-may.teachable.com/ To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on: Twitter Newsletter: https://katherinemay.substack.com/ Aspring non-fiction writers may also enjoy Katherine's weekly newsletter Writing True Stories. Wintering, the book on which this podcast is based, is out now in hardback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jul 28, 2020 |
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Huma Qureshi on the pregnancy that diverted her writing dreams
43:16
Author Huma Qureshi talks to Katherine May about a wintering period during her third pregnancy When Huma got pregnant for the third time, she expected to flourish: after all, she already had a successful journalism career and was working on her first novel. But extreme sickness floored her, and took her into a dark mental space in which she felt that she might never recover. In her wise and wonderful interview, Huma explains how we can emerge from the deeply miserable moments in our life with a new - more self-compassionate - plan. You can find Huma on: Her book How We Met is published in January 2021. Her work features in The Best, Most Awful Job, an anthology of honest writing about motherhood. For information on Katherine's online courses, go to: https://katherine-may.teachable.com/ To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on: Twitter Newsletter: https://katherinemay.substack.com/ Aspring non-fiction writers may also enjoy Katherine's weekly newsletter Writing True Stories. Wintering, the book on which this podcast is based, is out now in hardback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jul 14, 2020 |
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Jini Reddy on bereavement and finding a way through life
33:54
Jini Reddy, author of Wanderland, talks to Katherine May about a dark season in her life. When Jini's father died suddenly, she was still trying to work out what to do with her life. In this moving conversation, she talks about the times when she felt lost and unsure what to do next. But in time, she came to make her career as a writer. I loved talking to Jini - she's a true citizen of the world with roots in Canada, India and South Africa, and a sense of spirituality that emerges from having lived in a range of cultures. In this interview, we discuss the landscapes we love, our shared hatred of temping, and Jini's ingenious places to retreat. You can find Jini on Instagram or Twitter. Her book Wanderland is out now in hardback. To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on Twitter or Instagram. Wintering, the book on which this podcast is based, is out now in hardback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jul 06, 2020 |
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Rebecca Armstrong on giving up alcohol
45:34
In this thoughful and incredibly honest converation, journalist Rebecca Armstrong talks to Katherine May about a huge change that she undertook at the end of last year - giving up drinking alcohol. Rebecca discusses her life before she stopped drinking, the process of making the decision to go sober, and her life since. She's warm, frank and funny, offering an account of alcoholism in which there's no rock bottom, just a dawning realisation that something's got to give. In the meantime, she shares the new treasures she's found in sobriety, including an appreciation for the dark months of winter. This interview is recorded down a line, so please forgive any glitches in sound (eagle-eared listeners will detect Katherine's dog scratching at the door halfway through!) You can find Rebecca on Instagram. To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on Twitter or Instagram. Wintering, the book on which this podcast is based, is out now in hardback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jun 29, 2020 |
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Catherine Cho on postpartum psychosis
41:17
In this week's episode, Katherine May talks to Catherine Cho, author of Inferno, a beautifully told account of postpartum psychosis. After the birth of her son Cato, Catherine travelled to the USA, where her mental health declined to the point that she was committed to a secure ward. Her book details the time in which she recovered her sense of self and her bond with her baby, while trying to undersand what happened. After reading it, I was desperate to get Catherine on the show, and she does not disappoint: her account is thoughtful, scintillating, and, best of all, shame-free. This interview is recorded over a line, so please forgive any glitches in sound. You can find Catherine on Twitter, and Inferno is out now in Hardback. To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on Twitter or Instagram. Wintering, the book on which this podcast is based, is out now in hardback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jun 22, 2020 |
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Leah Hazard on changing career after having her first child
41:07
This week, I talk to Leah Hazard, NHS midwife extraorinaire and author of Hard Pushed, part memoir of Leah's life on the labour ward, and part exploration of the current state of the profession. Leah is as funny, wise and warm in person as she is in print, and she talks about the life-changing decision to leave her TV career and train to be a midwife, and the moment when the stress became too much during one very busy night on the ward. You can find Leah on Twitter @hazard_leah and Instagram @leahhazard. Hard Pushed is out now in paperback. To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on Twitter or Instagram. Wintering, the book on which this podcast is based, is out now in hardback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jun 15, 2020 |
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Penny Wincer on being a carer twice over
45:17
In this episode, Katherine May talks to Penny Wincer - photographer, activist and author of Tender: The Imperfect Art of Caring - about the wintering seasons in her life. Penny discusses her time as a young carer for her mother, who suffered from depression and anxiety, and her current role as carer for her autistic son, Arthur. While she never stops advocating for the needs of carers, Penny also draws out the pleasure and intimacy of fulfilling this role, and makes a compelling case for caring as an act of love. TW: this episode contains a mention of suicide. This episode is recorded down a phone line, so apologies for occasional glitches in sound. Tender is published on 11th June 2020. Penny's Instagram: @pennywincer Katherine May's links: Instagram: @katherinemay_ Twitter: @katherinemay_ Subscribe to Katherine's newsletter Wintering is out now in the UK, and publishes in the US in December. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jun 08, 2020 |
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Trailer: The Wintering Sessions with Katherine May
1:28
Coming soon: The Wintering Sessions, based on Katherine May's book of the same name. Each episode will feature a conversation with a writer or performer, talking about the times they've fallen through the cracks, felt left out, isolated, rejected or humiliated. Hit subscribe to make sure you catch Episode 1! This is a podcast of real conversations about the tough times in life: no platitudes, and no glossing over the awful bits. But they'll be full of warmth and honesty, and we'll share what we've learned along the way. Follow Katherine on Instagram: @katherinemay_ or Twitter: @ katherine may to keep updated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. |
Jun 01, 2020 |