‘A beautiful, gentle exploration of the dark season of life and the light of spring that eventually follows’ – RAYNOR WINN

‘Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself’ – ELIZABETH GILBERT

Stunning new hardback special edition of the life-affirming, bestselling balm for the soul

Wintering is a comforting meditation on the fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves. Katherine May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life.

A moving personal narrative interwoven with lessons from literature, mythology and the natural world, May’s story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas.

Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.

‘A book for the soul’ – CAITLIN MORAN

‘Absolutely beautiful’ – CHERYL STRAYED

‘It will do your soul good to read this.’ NIGELLA LAWSON

A balm for our times from the internationally bestselling author of Wintering.

Our sense of enchantment is not only sparked by grand things. The awe-inspiring, the numinous, is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention. The magic is of our own conjuring.

‘A total joy . . . Thoughtful, patient and beautifully written, like walking with a friend as dusk settles, this is the book your soul needs right now.’
CARIAD LLOYD

‘Beautifully written.’
PHILIPPA PERRY

Feeling bone-tired, anxious and overwhelmed by the rolling news cycle and the pandemic age, Katherine May seeks to unravel the threads of a life wound too tightly. Could there be another way to live – one that feels more meaningful, more grounded in the places beneath our feet? One that would allow us to feel more connected, more rested and at ease, even as seismic changes unfold on the planet?

Craving a different path, May explores the restorative properties of the natural world and begins to rekindle her sense of wonder. It is a journey that takes her from sacred wells to wild moors, from cradling seas to starfalls. Through deliberate attention and ritual, she finds nourishment and a more hopeful relationship to the world around her.

Enchantment is an invitation to each of us to experience life in all its sensual complexity and to find the beauty waiting for us there.

A balm for our times from the internationally bestselling author of Wintering.

Our sense of enchantment is not only sparked by grand things. The awe-inspiring, the numinous, is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention. The magic is of our own conjuring.

‘A total joy . . . Thoughtful, patient and beautifully written, like walking with a friend as dusk settles, this is the book your soul needs right now.’
CARIAD LLOYD

‘Beautifully written.’
PHILIPPA PERRY

Feeling bone-tired, anxious and overwhelmed by the rolling news cycle and the pandemic age, Katherine May seeks to unravel the threads of a life wound too tightly. Could there be another way to live – one that feels more meaningful, more grounded in the places beneath our feet? One that would allow us to feel more connected, more rested and at ease, even as seismic changes unfold on the planet?

Craving a different path, May explores the restorative properties of the natural world and begins to rekindle her sense of wonder. It is a journey that takes her from sacred wells to wild moors, from cradling seas to starfalls. Through deliberate attention and ritual, she finds nourishment and a more hopeful relationship to the world around her.

Enchantment is an invitation to each of us to experience life in all its sensual complexity and to find the beauty waiting for us there.

Signed Gift Edition with an exclusive foreword

‘Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself’ Elizabeth Gilbert

‘A gentle exploration of the dark season of life and the light of spring that eventually follows’ Raynor Winn, bestselling author of The Salt Path and The Wild Silence

Wintering is a poignant and comforting meditation on the fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves. Katherine May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life.

‘A peaceful rebuff to life in fast-forward’ Guardian

‘Absolutely beautiful’ Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild

Wintering is a poignant and comforting meditation on the fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves. Katherine May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life.

‘Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself’ ELIZABETH GILBERT

‘Absolutely beautiful’ CHERYL STRAYED