Wintering
The power of rest and retreat in difficult times
Will be published approx. on 16. October 2025
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-1-84604-878-4 (ISBN)
Description
THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING, LIFE-CHANGING PHENOMENON - SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
'Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself' - ELIZABETH GILBERT, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love
A stunning new special edition of the enduring modern classic
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
'Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself' - ELIZABETH GILBERT, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love
A stunning new special edition of the enduring modern classic
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
Reviews / Votes
A beautiful, gentle exploration of the dark season of life and the light of spring that eventually follows A book for the soul Katherine May thoughtfully examines the emotional, spiritual, and geographical reality of the cold times, the dark days, and those periods of our lives when things are neither soft nor easy. In so doing, she offers a great and humane service to her readers: she shows us that wintering cannot be avoided, but need not be feared. * Elizabeth Gilbert * Wise, radical and comforting. It's a refreshing, original way of looking at winter, both the season and the winterings that happen in all of our lives. A thought-provoking joy to read. Wintering is a gently unfolding delight: a memoir to savour and inspire, and a warm, witty meditation on the darkest seasons of our lives. I loved it. An empowering and touching read that will inspire a survivalist spirit on even the darkest days of winter. * Town and Country Magazine * Katherine May brings a poet's eye and unexpected comedy to this enthralling celebration of our fallow season ... this beautiful book is a reading cure. * Observer * We all experience periods of 'wintering' in our lives and this book shows us how to embrace the uncertainty that can come with it. A beautiful book that can be enjoyed in both winter and summer An elegant investigation into the consolations of nature and how it can be wonderfully restorative even on the bleakest of days * Sunday Express * [A] sympathetic memoir ... May recounts how she attempted to embrace rather than resist the gloom and chill of winter ... she radiates sincerity and quiet self-knowledge * TLS *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Ebury Publishing
Dimensions
Height: 147 mm
Width: 223 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
408 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84604-878-4 (9781846048784)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Katherine May is a writer, podcaster and speaker whose work touches on nature, spirituality, slow living and neurodivergence. She is the author of the internationally bestselling books Wintering and Enchantment, and writes the popular newsletter, The Clearing. Katherine lives by the sea in Whitstable, UK, with her husband, son and various pets. She loves walking, sea-swimming and cooking enormous feasts.