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

More resources for writers:

👉 Join the 7-Day Write Habit Booster (July 7-13, 2025) to kickstart your writing summer www.writehabitbooster.com

👉 Start your Book with this FREE mini course: www.startyourbookin5days.com

👉 Join the 90-Day Writing Accelerator (Sept 15 - Dec 15, 2025) - get on the waitlist and be the first to hear when enrolment opens: www.writehabitaccelerator.com

When a Book Becomes Medicine: Interview with "Land Beneath the Waves" Author Nic Wilson

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