This week, I talk to Leah Hazard, NHS midwife extraorinaire and author of Hard Pushed, part memoir of Leah's life on the labour ward, and part exploration of the current state of the profession.

Leah is as funny, wise and warm in person as she is in print, and she talks about the life-changing decision to leave her TV career and train to be a midwife, and the moment when the stress became too much during one very busy night on the ward.

You can find Leah on Twitter @hazard_leah and Instagram @leahhazard. Hard Pushed is out now in paperback.

To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on Twitter or Instagram. Wintering, the book on which this podcast is based, is out now in hardback.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Katherine May talks to Penny Wincer - photographer, activist and author of Tender: The Imperfect Art of Caring - about the wintering seasons in her life.

Penny discusses her time as a young carer for her mother, who suffered from depression and anxiety, and her current role as carer for her autistic son, Arthur. While she never stops advocating for the needs of carers, Penny also draws out the pleasure and intimacy of fulfilling this role, and makes a compelling case for caring as an act of love.

TW: this episode contains a mention of suicide.

This episode is recorded down a phone line, so apologies for occasional glitches in sound.

Tender is published on 11th June 2020.

Penny's Instagram: @pennywincer

Katherine May's links:

Instagram: @katherinemay_

Twitter: @katherinemay_

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Wintering is out now in the UK, and publishes in the US in December.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming soon: The Wintering Sessions, based on Katherine May's book of the same name. Each episode will feature a conversation with a writer or performer, talking about the times they've fallen through the cracks, felt left out, isolated, rejected or humiliated. Hit subscribe to make sure you catch Episode 1!

This is a podcast of real conversations about the tough times in life: no platitudes, and no glossing over the awful bits. But they'll be full of warmth and honesty, and we'll share what we've learned along the way.

Follow Katherine on Instagram: @katherinemay_ or Twitter: @ katherine may to keep updated.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.