We are so thrilled that the paperback edition of  Katherine May‘s incredible memoir, Wintering is out across the UK today (Penguin Random House), complete with a lovely new jacket!

An established author, Katherine has earned a reputation for her warmth, charm and engaging depth; in Wintering, you will find her depicting the power and healing capabilities of the natural world. Whilst recounting painful events of in her recent past, Katherine expresses how a season of retreat provided the restoration she sorely needed, and how we can all benefit from a ‘hibernaton’ period.

Following its initial release back in February, the book has been met with critical acclaim – it peaked at no.3 on Amazon’s ‘Movers and Shakers’ chart, and was longlisted for the Wainwright Prize for nature writing. Additionally, the press and Katherine’s peers have been taken with her words; she has since featured on Madmoiselle Women to discuss more on her background and writing process, as well as The i newspaper, where she spoke on the catharsis of wintering. In The Guardian, in which the book was featured as a ‘book of the day’ back in February, Katherine did a write-up on on the benefits of human hibernation.  Elizabeth Gilbert, of Eat, Pray, Love fame, deemed the memoir “beautiful and healing.” 

It’s no surprise that the memoir continues to strike a chord; many will already know that in the US, where the book was released this week by Penguin Random House / Riverhead Books, Wintering has been selected as the No.1 December pick by independent booksellers, and book chain Barnes & Noble has chosen it as a premier handsell title for the holiday season. Recently, acclaimed platform NPR offered a glowing review, calling it a “contemplative, hopeful, consoling book.”

In Wintering, Katherine May recounts her own year-long journey through winter, sparked by a sudden illness in her family that plunged her into a time of uncertainty and seclusion. When life felt at is most frozen, she managed to find strength and inspiration from the incredible wintering experiences of others as well as from the remarkable transformations that nature makes to survive the cold.

This beautiful, perspective-shifting memoir teaches us to draw from the healing powers of the natural world and to embrace the winters of our own lives.

Readers are full of praise for Katherine’s enriching narrative:

“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

“An empowering and touching read that will inspire a survivalist spirit on even the darkest days of winter”  Town and Country Magazine

“An intimate meditation on solitude and transformation…A serene evocation of a dark season.” Kirkus Reviews

“Wintering is an evocative ode to winter hibernation. A glorious blend of storytelling, natural history and culture, May’s words are packed with warmth and humour. This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read, and I plan to take some time out to re-read it each year.”  Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars 

“I found this poetic book moving, comforting, and incredibly beautiful. I know it will stay with me for a long time, and things feel a little less bleak knowing I have it on my shelf to return to when winters – both kinds – come.” Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars 

We are certain that you will be swept away by this gorgeous title – be sure to make haste, and grab a copy today.