Katherine May on Enchantment, Building Community, Tasting Words, and a Drink of Lake Water

“I love Katherine May’s new book, Enchantment.… It’s a beautiful offering of light, truth and charm in these strange, dark times.”

— Anne Lamott

Katherine May is an internationally bestselling author and podcaster living in Whitstable, UK. Her most recent book, Enchantment became an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Her internationally bestselling hybrid memoir Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times was adapted as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week, and was shortlisted for the Porchlight and Barnes and Noble Book of the Year. The Electricity of Every Living Thing, her memoir of a midlife autism diagnosis was adapted as an audio drama by Audible. Katherine’s podcast, How We Live Now, ranks in the top 1% worldwide, and she has been a guest presenter for On Being’s The Future of Hope series. Katherine lives with her husband, son, two cats and a dog. She loves walking, sea-swimming and pickling slightly unappealing things.

Katherine and I talk about tasting words, the wisdom of beholding only a handful of pieces in an art museum per visit, and we examine the necessity and importance of community drawing on specifically her chapter titled “Congregation” from her latest book, Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, and so much more.

As always you can visit contemplify.com for the shownotes on this episode and learn more about Katherine by visiting katherine-may.co.uk, signing up her Substack newsletter, and listening to her podcast How We Live Now.

Visit Katherine May at katherine-may.co.uk | IG: @katherinemay_ | Pinterest: @katherinemay_

Episode Show Notes

Works by Katherine May

Resources & People Mentioned

Drink Recommended

  • Lotus Lake Water

Photo pulled from katherine-may.co.uk (Photo credit Alexa Loy Dent)
Links to book purchases give a kickback to a local New Mexican bookstore and Contemplify