What’s to be done with the lost, the dead, but write them into being?’So writes Hilary Mantel in her extraordinary memoir, Giving Up the Ghost. First published in 2003, it offers a snapshot of the great writer before the Wolf Hall era: a literary, if not commercial, success, and a fragile soul with a dark, scuttling imagination. Katherine was joined by Jillian Hess of the brilliant Noted Substack to explore this wonderful book. They discussed the way that Mantel captures her childhood and family, her relationship to her body and the endometriosis that assailed it, the way she talks about writing, and - of course, given that it’s Halloween week - those ambiguous ghosts.Katherine's book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UKLinks from the episode:Jillian's Substack, NotedHilary Mantel’s book, Giving Up The GhostJoin Katherine's Substack for a free reading guide, video recordings and transcriptsFind show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.Follow Katherine on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Fox, a celebrated poet and writer known for her work on Radio 4's The Verb, delves into the power of poetry on National Poetry Day. She shares her new book, On Sycamore Gap, reflecting on a beloved tree that was vandalized, uniting the community in shared grief and resilience. The discussion navigates themes of loss, cultural heritage, and the intersection of nature and narrative, emphasizing how poetry can bridge connections and foster healing in challenging times.

Oliver Burkeman, a subversive author in the self-help genre, joins Katherine May to discuss his new book, Meditations for Mortals. They explore how embracing our imperfections and limitations can lead to greater acceptance and fulfillment. Burkeman shares insights on navigating mental health, emphasizing the importance of self-kindness and flexibility in personal growth. He challenges conventional notions of productivity and mortality, urging listeners to savor life’s moments rather than constantly seek thrills.

This month, Katherine spoke to Lucy Jones about Matrescence, her book about the profound changes wrought by pregnancy and birth. Combining the biological, the social and the political with exquisite writing, this is a radical revision of a subject veiled in forced cosiness and obfuscation. Lucy's frankness and curiosity - her utter realness - are an absolute balm for anyone who’s navigated the very particular environment of contemporary western maternity, whether that contact has been personal or at one remove. It helps us to understand why pregnancy feels like such a hinterland, and also why it doesn’t need to be this way. Katherine's book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UKLinks from the episode:Lucy's InstagramLucy's websiteLucy’s book, MatrescenceJoin Katherine's Substack for a free reading guide, video recordings and transcriptsFind show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.Follow Katherine on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katherine was excited to speak to Daniel Tammet about his latest book, Nine Minds: Inner Lives on the Spectrum. Katherine has been reading Daniel’s writing for a long time - his first book, Born on a Blue Day, came out in 2006. At the time, he was writing about his experience as a savant (his synaesthesia means that he conceptualises numbers and dates in a completely different way to most of us), and in this conversation Katherine and Daniel talk about the way that he was treated during those years. Daniel is a beautiful writer, but his talent was often invisible to people who only wanted to see him as a kind of specimen, not fully human. Hear as they talk about the way Daniel’s persisted, asserting his rightful place as a thinker and a master of prose.Katherine's book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UKLinks from the episode:Daniel's WebsiteDaniel’s book, Nine MindsJoin Katherine's SubstackFind show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.Follow Katherine on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Katherine as she talks with Tom Newlands about his debut novel, Only Here, Only Now. Katherine talks with Tom about his female main protagonist, the unforgettable Cora, setting the book in 1990s Scotland and how it offers a new way of writing about neurodivergence. She also explains the thinking behind choosing Only Here, Only Now for a non-fiction book club, and why it captivated her enough to break her own rules. Katherine's book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UKLinks from the episode:Tom's InstagramTom’s book, Only Here, Only NowJoin Katherine's SubstackFind show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.Follow Katherine on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me for a recent conversation with comedian, essayist, blogger, and television writer Samantha Irby. Recorded as part of my True Stories Book Club hosted on Substack, we talked about realising you have a body again after lockdown, dogs that don’t love us enough/love us too much, writing about the darkest parts of our life, and terrorising Sex and the City fans by writing on And Just Like That… If you haven’t read it already, do check out her latest essay collection, Quietly Hostile.Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UKLinks from the episode:Samantha’s websiteSamantha’s book, Quietly HostileJoin Katherine's SubstackFind show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.Follow Katherine on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join my conversation with Catherine Coldstream as we relax into a questing, rambling chat about the deep pull that many of us feel towards the quiet and gentle rhythms of the monastic life, and the risks of submitting so completely.Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UKLinks from the episode:Catherine’s websiteCatherine’s book, CloisteredJoin Katherine's SubstackFind show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.Follow Katherine on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Camille T. Dungy, author, discusses gardens as a means of social control and conformity. They explore the complexity of the relationship between Black Americans and nature, subtle exclusionary behavior, creating a garden bed as a reflection of grief, and the challenges of balancing motherhood and writing.

Kaitlin Curtice, an Indigenous American, discusses living resistance and embracing indigenous identity. They explore the power of writing and storytelling, the challenges of wintering and personal growth, and the importance of compassion and rest for resistance. They also touch on Christmas preparations and the need for spaces of care and support.