Writing for Recovery & Connection with Clover Stroud

Writing for Recovery & Connection with Clover Stroud

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between writer Clover Stroud and host Mandy Manners offers a warm, honest look at what happens when you swap the wine glass for a pen, a needle, or a long walk in nature. Clover, a Sunday Times bestselling memoirist, talks about writing as something "essential" to her being.

She explains how putting her life on the page helped her move through traumatic loss, depression, motherhood and, eventually, alcohol-free living. The more specifically she wrote about her own emotions, the more readers saw themselves in her work: "We are all humans and we are all dealing with the same emotions." Sobriety for Clover arrived in midlife, influenced powerfully by her sister Nell’s decision to stop drinking after a cancer diagnosis.

Nell’s description of sobriety as "cobwebs being cleared from your eyes" stayed with her, and Clover shares how giving up alcohol felt like opening a hidden room inside herself, full of beauty and possibility. She’s candid about the early awkwardness of social events without booze, the pull of old habits, and the sheer relief of hangover-free mornings.

You’ll also hear about creativity beyond the page: fibre art, embroidery, and the simple joy of doing something with your hands instead of topping up a glass. For Clover, these practices ground her, deepen conversations, and create a sense of belonging wherever she is – whether in the English countryside or in Washington, DC.

At its heart, this episode is for anyone who’s curious about writing as a way to process emotions, let go of shame, and connect with others while staying sober. If you’ve ever wondered whether life without alcohol might actually feel bigger, brighter and more honest, this gentle, funny, and very human chat might be just what you need today. What story about yourself are you ready to write next?