Found Sound for May: Max Porter

In this month's 'Found Sound' episode of *As the Season Turns*, musician and sound artist Alice Boyd presents a poetic and intimate conversation with acclaimed novelist Max Porter in the ancient woodland of Smallcombe Cemetery, Bath. The episode unfolds as a lyrical exploration of landscape, voice, and the interplay between the human and non-human world. Porter reflects on how the natural world—particularly spring—shapes his writing, drawing from personal experiences with his children, his dog Happy, and his deep reverence for the living earth. He shares an early draft of a piece written for the rewilding film *This Wild Land*, narrated by Claire Foy, in which the land itself speaks with a rich, ecstatic voice. The conversation delves into Porter’s creative process—rooted in observation, collaboration, and the editing of raw emotional and sensory impressions—while emphasizing the importance of listening, humility, and the sacredness of the everyday. Themes of grief, rebirth, ecological awareness, and the quiet magic of domestic life weave throughout, culminating in a profound meditation on presence, impermanence, and the deep connections between people, place, and the more-than-human world.