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 UKLinks from the episode:Simran's websiteSimran's book, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your LifeFollow Simran on Instagram, Twitter and YouTubeJoin Katherine's Patreon to receive episodes early and ad-freeSign up to receive Katherine's newsletterFind shownotes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.Follow Katherine on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 UKLinks from the episode:Priya's websitePriya's book, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It MattersFollow Priya on Instagram and TwitterJoin Katherine's Patreon to receive episodes early and ad-freeSign up to receive Katherine's newsletterFind show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.Follow Katherine on InstagramImage credit: Photographer, Adam Ferguson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, BittersweetOnlineTwitterInstagramKatherine's Links:PatreonNewsletterHomepageInstagramPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 LINKSRaynor’s new book, LandlinesOnlineTwitterInstagramKATHERINE LINKSShop all books from The Wintering SessionsPatreonNewsletterHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing classNote: 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.

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:Leah’s TwitterLeah’s InstagramLeah’s book Hard Pushed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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:Finding the sacred in everyday lifeHow grief changes youThe need for communityBreaking off an engagement and family shameREMONA LINKSOnlineTwitterInstagramKATHERINE LINKSShop all books from The Wintering SessionsPatreonNewsletterHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing classNote: 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.

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 LINKSOnlineTwitterInstagramWhat White People Can Do Next KATHERINE LINKSShop all books from The Wintering SessionsPatreonNewsletterHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing classNote: 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.

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:Shame, failure, the experience of being gossiped aboutInner strength and family support that allowed her to reinvent herselfHer best-selling novel, The KhanSAIMA LINKSOnlineTwitterThe KhanThe Best, Most Awful JobKATHERINE LINKSShop all books from The Wintering SessionsPatreonHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing classNote: 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.

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:Fleeting moments of human connectionThe joy of tending a gardenThe childlike act of noticingROSS LINKSOnlinePoetry FoundationRoss on 'On Being'KATHERINE LINKSShop all books from The Wintering SessionsPatreonHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing classNote: 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.

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: How we engage with fashionHow changing in habits can mean opting out of the systemHow to take care of your stuff so it lastsAJA LINKSOnlineInstagramConsumed bookKATHERINE LINKSShop all books from The Wintering SessionsPatreonHomepageTwitterInstagramThe Wintering SessionsKatherine's writing classNote: 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.