In our April issue, we met Katherine May, who set out on outings to reawaken her sense of wonder. Here, we’ve collated a few books (including one of Katherine’s own) that might help you do the same…
Enchantment: Reawakening wonder in an exhausted age by Katherine May (Faber)
Exhausted and overwhelmed, Katherine sought out a different ways to be in a more meaningful relationship with the world and rekindle that sense of wonder and play that comes so easily to us as children. Rather than something that is given to us or requires grand adventures, she discovers how it’s something that’s everything – it just requires our small but deliberate attention. Honest and inspiring.
Awe: The transformative power of everyday wonder by Dacher Keltner (Penguin)
A scientific exploration into awe and how finding and experiencing it can help to make us feel happier. Dacher’s extensive research has led him to conclude that this feeling of awe or wonder at something greater than us gives us a sense of worth and belonging and connection with the people and natural environment around us. We can experience every day awe in our own way, says Keltner, whether it’s a panoramic view, meditation, music or the laughter of a loved one, if we just allow ourselves to pause and wonder.
Twelve Moons: A year under a shared sky by Caro Giles (Harper North)
A beautiful memoir written over the course of a year from the author’s Northumbrian home where she lives with her four young daughters. Structured according to the twelve moons of the lunar calendar, Giles writes honestly about the challenges of single motherhood and how she finds strength and guidance from the natural world beyond her four walls and the ever-present, shimmering influence of the moon.
The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World by Jennifer Higgie (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Longing for ‘a kind of re-enchantment’ at a moment of transition in her life, art writer Jennifer turns to often much neglected women artists, such as Hilma af Klimt and Ithell Colquhoun, who tried to explore realms beyond the physical with their work. Their fascinating stories, dating from the 12th century through to today and interwoven with the writer’s own – suggest a myriad of other possibilities and ways of being in this world.
Read more about Katherine’s outings in search of wonder in our April issue.
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