The Clearing with Katherine May

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 LINKSGetting To CenterHome pageQuiltingQult app (US region)PatreonKATHERINE LINKSHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing class Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 LINKSTwitterThe GuardianThe Single SupplementPositive NewsGilmore GirlsKATHERINE LINKSHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing class Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 LINKSOnlineBuy 'The Beauty In Breaking'Other titles by MicheleEssaysEkhart TolleKATHERINE LINKSHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing class Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 LINKSTwitterBuy 'Thin Places''Thin Places' homepageVik (Iceland)Robert MacfarlaneMore information on The TroublesDerryKATHERINE LINKSHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing class Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @sophiablackwellHer 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.ukFor information on Katherine's online writing courses, go to: https://katherine-may.teachable.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @remonaalyYou 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.

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 nothingRaynor 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.winnHer 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: TwitterInstagramNewsletter: 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.

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: Instagram: @humaqureshiwriterTwitter: @humaqureshiukHer 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: TwitterInstagramNewsletter: 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.

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.

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.