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When a Book Becomes Medicine: Interview with "Land Beneath the Waves" Author Nic Wilson
What if the story you were meant to write was also the one that would change your life?
In this episode, I’m joined by Nic Wilson—nature writer, editor, and author of the luminous memoir Land Beneath the Waves. Nic shares how this book came to her not as a plan, but as a compulsion—a voice that wouldn't quiet until it was written.
Through grief, chronic illness, and deep connection to the land, Nic found not only her story—but a new version of herself.
In our interview, we explore how memoir becomes more than memory: it becomes medicine.
If you’ve ever doubted your strength, if you’re writing through illness or grief, or if a book has ever saved your life—you’ll feel deeply at home in this conversation.
We explore:
- How Land Beneath the Waves “demanded to be written”—and why Nic couldn’t resist the call
- The link between writing, healing, and reclaiming power
- What chronic illness taught her about landscape and the body
- How she moved from self-doubt to radical self-compassion
Favourite quote from the episode:
“I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough. I think before writing this, I’d have said I’m not a strong person. But writing the book showed me something else.” - Nic Wilson
About Nic Wilson
Nic is a writer, editor and Guardian country diarist. She works for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, specialising in wildlife, wild plants and environmental issues. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies including Under the Changing Skies: The Best of The Guardian Country Diaries 2018-2024, Going to Ground: An Anthology of Nature and Place, and Moving Mountains, described as a ‘first-of-its-kind’ anthology of nature writing by disabled and chronically ill writers.
Her debut memoir, Land Beneath the Waves, is a lyrical meditation on illness, memory, and the power of nature to heal and transform.
Order here: https://summersdale.com/titles/nic-wilson/land-beneath-the-waves/9781837996223/
Nic's website: nicwilson.co.uk
Instagram: @dogwooddaysgardener
Bluesky: nicwilson.bsky.social
Resources for you:
- Join "The Awakened Author" LIVE for experienced writers with stalled projects (Jan 26-March 6):
https://www.thewritehabitplanner.com/awakenedauthor
- Learn automatic writing with my FREE guide:
https://www.thewritehabitplanner.com/startautomaticwriting
- Join my £33 self-paced program "Start Your Book With Automatic Writing":
https://www.thewritehabitplanner.com/automatic-book
- Order "The Write Habit Planner" - your 52-week goal setting planner
https://www.thewritehabitplanner.com/
View all episodes
By Dr Nicole JanzWhat if the story you were meant to write was also the one that would change your life?
In this episode, I’m joined by Nic Wilson—nature writer, editor, and author of the luminous memoir Land Beneath the Waves. Nic shares how this book came to her not as a plan, but as a compulsion—a voice that wouldn't quiet until it was written.
Through grief, chronic illness, and deep connection to the land, Nic found not only her story—but a new version of herself.
In our interview, we explore how memoir becomes more than memory: it becomes medicine.
If you’ve ever doubted your strength, if you’re writing through illness or grief, or if a book has ever saved your life—you’ll feel deeply at home in this conversation.
We explore:
- How Land Beneath the Waves “demanded to be written”—and why Nic couldn’t resist the call
- The link between writing, healing, and reclaiming power
- What chronic illness taught her about landscape and the body
- How she moved from self-doubt to radical self-compassion
Favourite quote from the episode:
“I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough. I think before writing this, I’d have said I’m not a strong person. But writing the book showed me something else.” - Nic Wilson
About Nic Wilson
Nic is a writer, editor and Guardian country diarist. She works for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, specialising in wildlife, wild plants and environmental issues. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies including Under the Changing Skies: The Best of The Guardian Country Diaries 2018-2024, Going to Ground: An Anthology of Nature and Place, and Moving Mountains, described as a ‘first-of-its-kind’ anthology of nature writing by disabled and chronically ill writers.
Her debut memoir, Land Beneath the Waves, is a lyrical meditation on illness, memory, and the power of nature to heal and transform.
Order here: https://summersdale.com/titles/nic-wilson/land-beneath-the-waves/9781837996223/
Nic's website: nicwilson.co.uk
Instagram: @dogwooddaysgardener
Bluesky: nicwilson.bsky.social
Resources for you:
- Join "The Awakened Author" LIVE for experienced writers with stalled projects (Jan 26-March 6):
https://www.thewritehabitplanner.com/awakenedauthor
- Learn automatic writing with my FREE guide:
https://www.thewritehabitplanner.com/startautomaticwriting
- Join my £33 self-paced program "Start Your Book With Automatic Writing":
https://www.thewritehabitplanner.com/automatic-book
- Order "The Write Habit Planner" - your 52-week goal setting planner
https://www.thewritehabitplanner.com/