{"podcast":{"title":"The Clearing with Katherine May","slug":"the-clearing-with-katherine-may-1253345","podcast_index_feed_id":1253345,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/60059ad176b566154159c5d5","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/wintering","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/60059ad176b566154159c5d5/1770117124065-bb5f8b21-1a4d-486c-8ae8-2dce58d57567.jpeg","author":"Katherine May","episode_count":90,"summary":"Where would you go to rest and retreat, in good times and bad? Katherine May, author of Wintering and Enchantment, asks her guests to share their idea of a perfect sanctuary. Drawing on memory, inspiration and imagination, she explores the things we seek out when we need to restore our joy, hope and energy. It begins with a forest clearing. What will we find there? A log cabin or a grand hotel? What cherished object or talisman would you bring? And what single work of art, be it a book, record, film or something else, would provide you with enough sustenance to see you through the darkness and remind you of the good times? In a series of frank, thoughtful and deeply personal conversations, The Clearing will explore the cultural, social and spiritual mindset needed to survive difficult times. Katherine's Links: Visit The Clearing website https://katherine-may.co.uk/the-clearing-podcast to discover how to enjoy the episodes ad free Buy Katherine’s books: Enchantment | Wintering | The Electricity of Every Living Thing: UK / US Follow Katherine on Instagram Visit Katherine’s Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-clearing-with-katherine-may-1253345"},"episode":{"title":"Mike Sowden’s island of curiosity","slug":"mike-sowden-s-island-of-curiosity","published_at":"2026-02-07T00:15:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-clearing-with-katherine-may-1253345/mike-sowden-s-island-of-curiosity","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-clearing-with-katherine-may-1253345","url":"https://shows.acast.com/wintering/episodes/mike-sowdens-island-of-curiosity","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/60059ad176b566154159c5d5/e/698375e00aa7944053cbb614/media.mp3","summary":"Settling in amongst the sparkling sea views and scented coniferous trees of Corfu, writer Mike Sowden tells Katherine why he is ditching the concept of escape to run towards places and people with enthusiasm and curiosity.   Conjuring up a beautiful stay on the island so beloved by author Gerald Durrell, where people are still viscerally connected to the changing seasons, Mike and Katherine find creativity in discomfort, stories from failed adventures and a shared desire to get out into the world more and embrace the randomness of life. Links from the episode: Mike’s Everything is Amazing newsletter on Substack   Where Good Ideas Come From by Stephen Johnson Journey into Cyprus by Colin Thubron Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (and link to website all about her) Visit The Clearing website www.theclearingpod.com for a full transcript and to discover how to enjoy the episodes ad free Buy Katherine’s books: Enchantment | Wintering | The Electricity of Every Living Thing: UK / US Follow Katherine on Instagram Visit Katherine’s Website Production Credits Guest Booker and Admin Support - Meghan Hutchins Substack Manager - Rebecca Armstrong Producer - Alice Lloyd Music - The Leaf Library @theleaflibrary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"Settling in amongst the sparkling sea views and scented coniferous trees of Corfu, writer Mike Sowden tells Katherine why he is ditching the concept of es…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3744,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-clearing-with-katherine-may-1253345/episodes/mike-sowden-s-island-of-curiosity/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-clearing-with-katherine-may-1253345/mike-sowden-s-island-of-curiosity.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}