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Artwork for The Clearing

The Clearing with Katherine May

Katherine May
Rest
Mental Health
Self-Care
Writing
Retreat
Living Resistance
Indigenous Identity
Creativity
Motherhood
Grief
Soil
Nature
Anxiety and Mental Health
Colonization
Burnout
Storytelling
Katherine May
ADHD
Neurodivergence
Community Care

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? W... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes103Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArtsEducationSelf-Improvement

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Artwork for The Clearing

Latest Episodes

Step forward our first OBE on the show; former Children’s Laureate, winner of the Carnegie Medal for Writing, poet and prolific children’s author, Joseph Coelho.  

Having both grown up on housing estates where you definitely weren’t pre-conditioned ... more

Katherine kicks off Season Three of The Clearing in wild style by chatting to former magazine editor, podcast host and US author Elise Loehnen. 

Menopausal Love Island, lumberjack witches, the potential joy of losing female reproductive organs and a... more

We’re excited to announce Season Three of The Clearing coming very soon. Katherine has curated a spectacular line-up of guests and we can’t wait for you to hear some of the brilliantly creative fantasies of rest they have dreamt up. 

Plus don’t forg... more

Not too warm, not too cool, the kind of evening where you’re still in shorts but have pulled on a sweater, is where we find ourselves this week with the wonderful writer and papercut artist Anna Brones. 

It’s the Pacific North-West but imbued with A... more

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Recent Guests

Elise Loehnen
Author of On Our Best Behavior; public figure discussing rest, healing, and feminism
Independent author/podcaster
Episode: Elise Loehnen’s radical candour therapist witch
Elise Loewenen
writer
Episode: Introducing Season Three
Katlyn Moran
writer
Episode: Introducing Season Three
Sarah Wilson
writer
Episode: Introducing Season Three
Piano Veli
comedian
Episode: Introducing Season Three
Joseph Kurlow
former Children's Laureate
Episode: Introducing Season Three
Anna Brones
Visual artist and writer; author of books and creator of Creative Fuel, with Swedish heritage
Independent/Author
Episode: Anna Brones’ Scandinavian saltwater idyll
Alice Vincent
Author of Rootbound and Hark; gardening writer and journalist
Author and journalist
Episode: Alice Vincent’s joyful soundscape of human togetherness
Joycelyn Longdon
Social activist, writer, and PhD candidate (interviewee)
Independent researcher/Writer
Episode: Joycelyn Longdon on imagining an abundant future

Host

Katherine May
Host of The Clearing; explores rest, sanctuary, and imagination with guests across disciplines.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 464 ratings
  • Pure joy

    I loved your book, Wintering, and a friend gave me a gift subscription to your Substack. This was the first podcast I’ve listened to and what a joy it was. I loved hearing your voice and your tone. Comfort in a podcast. ❤️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    S_Shug
    United States6 months ago
  • Lovely and well timed

    Always a fan of your work Katherine, and I love this iteration of your podcast. I love the permission to imagine ideal rest and the invitation to find big and small ways to integrate rest into our lives.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CatInVirginia
    United States6 months ago
  • A beacon of light

    This podcast makes me feel so hopeful for the future. Katherine’s takes are so very thoughtful and her guests are wonderful.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lizzyloula
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Joyful and important – a rare combination

    Katherine’s introductions to each episode brings in the listener so you feel like you’re with her in the conversation from the very start. It’s fascinating to hear what her different guests think and feel about rest, what rest ideally looks like for them and their challenges around finding and creating a sense of rest. What I love most about The Clearing is that it’s the most real, honest and relatable conversation about rest I’ve found, to date, which is why I think it’s an important as well th... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    GabrielleCT
    United Kingdom8 months ago
  • Lovely podcast about a very important topic - rest

    This podcast feels like a real antidote to our fast paced, overwhelming world, I love it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dex&Mosscap
    United Kingdom8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners describe the show as comforting, thoughtful, and hopeful, with guests who offer practical and meaningful insights.
Audiences appreciate the variety of guests and how rest, creativity, and nature are woven into each episode.
The conversations feel intimate and human, making complex topics about rest and resilience accessible.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#48
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#110
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#117
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#136
Australia/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#172
Germany/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#59
Norway/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Elise Loehnen’s radical candour therapist witch
Q: How do you think about rest and sloth in the context of your recent experiences with illness?
Elise discusses rest as a radical reorientation away from relentless productivity, embracing pause as a path to healing and clarity, and using the metaphor of a witch's cottage to explore mentoring through hard truths rather than easy answers.
Poorna Bell’s New Zealand vista
Q: What does rest look like to you?
Rest means having a day with no set appointments, allowing myself to move at my own pace.
Poorna Bell’s New Zealand vista
Q: Is there a distinct point for you when you think I'm done now, I want to leave?
I always miss my home when I'm leaving it to go to the airport. I just knew when it was time to go home.
Andy J. Pizza’s magical, moving ADHD landscape
Q: Tell me where we find ourselves, where you might go, what sort of landscape, what sort of place you might go for your kind of rest.
I like the idea that this could be partially fictional. I want to go to Howl's Moving Castle as a kind of bed and breakfast.
Cariad Lloyd’s mossy, mythical retreat
Q: What do you bring with you into your retreat?
I think I'd need a good blanket and some trinkets to make me feel settled.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
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Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Clearing

What is The Clearing about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Explores how listeners can create personal sanctuaries to restore joy, energy, and creativity during both difficult and ordinary times. Conversations center on retreat practices, memory, imagination, and the small rituals that sustain everyday life, with guests ranging from writers and visual artists to journalists and activists. The tone is intimate and reflective, often blending practical tips for rest with deeper explorations of meaning, resilience, and community. A notable strength is the breadth of guests and disciplines, all tying back to the core idea that rest and sanctuary are productive, not passive, and can be cultivated through everyday objects, spaces, and stories.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Clearing?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Clearing:

1. The Shift with Sam Baker
2. As the Season Turns
3. Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen
4. 10% Happier with Dan Harris
5. Bewildered

How many episodes of The Clearing are there?

The Clearing launched 6 years ago and published 103 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Clearing?

Recent guests on The Clearing include:

1. Elise Loehnen
2. Elise Loewenen
3. Katlyn Moran
4. Sarah Wilson
5. Piano Veli
6. Joseph Kurlow
7. Anna Brones
8. Alice Vincent

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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