How We Live Now with Katherine May

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.

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Episodes

Huma Qureshi on the pregnancy that diverted her writing dreams

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 ...

Jul 14, 2020•43 min•Ep. 6

Jini Reddy on bereavement and finding a way through life

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 li...

Jul 06, 2020•34 min•Ep. 5

Rebecca Armstrong on giving up alcohol

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 shar...

Jun 29, 2020•46 min•Ep. 4

Catherine Cho on postpartum psychosis

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 no...

Jun 22, 2020•41 min•Ep. 3

Leah Hazard on changing career after having her first child

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 @le...

Jun 15, 2020•41 min•Ep. 2

Penny Wincer on being a carer twice over

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 ...

Jun 08, 2020•45 min•Ep. 1

Trailer: The Wintering Sessions with Katherine May

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'...

Jun 01, 2020•1 min

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