Writing Medicine: The Wellcome Trust at the Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, 5-14 October 2007
20 September 2007
From epilepsy to autism, and from the library to the doctor's surgery, how do writers engage with medicine and what are the challenges they face? Popular writers Ian McEwan and Sebastian Faulks, award-winning blogger ambulanceman Tom Reynolds and autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen are just some of those discussing this increasingly significant and rapidly-changing area, at this year's The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival.
Funded and programmed by The Wellcome Trust, 'Writing Medicine' is a series of events that aim to explore the interaction between literature and medicine.
As the UK's largest charity, the Wellcome Trust funds around £500 million each year in innovative biomedical research. Further to this, the Wellcome Trust supports public debate and engagement about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing, including arts awards, education projects and research in the medical humanities.
"The line-up is tremendous," says Clare Matterson, Director of Medicine, Society and History at the Wellcome Trust. "Audiences attending this year's festival will be able learn about the individual experiences of contemporary authors who engage in medical themes. I hope the events inspire a future generation of writers of medical literature."
Now in its 58th year, The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival has announced its most compelling programme to date with a line-up of the world's leading writers, historians, politicians, poets, philosophers and stars from the stage and screen. Highlights include: Lucy and Stephen Hawking discussing their new book for families, 'George's Secret Key to the Universe'; Michael Palin talking about his new project, Palin's New Europe; and Russell Brand discussing his autobiography.
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival runs from 5 to 14 of October. To book tickets please call the credit card hotline on 01242 227979. For full programme details see The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival website.
Wellcome Trust 'Writing Medicine' events
Sebastian Faulks and Steve Jones
Sat 6 Oct/14.15-15.15/Town Hall/£7
Sebastian Faulks' bestselling novel 'Human Traces' draws on five years' research in medical libraries, while Steve Jones' 'Coral' used the amazing power of the electronic Web of Science to mine the world for information. They discuss the pleasures and challenges of the research process, and the fascinating and often unpredictable ways it shapes their work.
Medics
Sun 7 Oct/14.15-15.15/Town Hall/£6
From 'Dr Finlay's Casebook' to 'ER', portrayal of the medical world has undergone a seismic shift. Ambulanceman Tom Reynolds, author of the award-winning blog 'Blood, Sweat and Tea', joins former doctor Jed Mercurio, creator of 'Bodies and Cardiac Arrest', and The Times' Thomas Stuttaford to explore whether fact matches up to fiction.
The Only Boy in the World
Mon 8 Oct/14.00-15.00/Town Hall/£6
Michael Blastland has written powerfully about his son's autism. He joins Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre, and Marti Leimbach, author of 'Daniel Isn't Talking', to talk about their own experiences, how autism is reflected on the page and how this relates to the latest medical thinking.
In Sickness and in Health
Wed 10 Oct/16.00-1700/Town Hall/£6
How do authors write about illness and recovery? Poet and non-fiction writer Gwyneth Lewis and author Jeremy Thomas have both written powerfully about depression and illness. They join Brian Hurwitz to discuss reading, writing and recovery.
Ian McEwan and Steven Pinker
Sat 13 Oct/12.00-13.00/Everyman Theatre/£7
How does language shape who we are? Booker-winning novelist Ian McEwan and bestselling psychologist Steven Pinker share a fascination for the way language can offer a window into the depths of human nature. They make an unmissable rare joint appearance.
Seizures
Sun 14 Oct/ 15.00-16.00/Town Hall/£6
Neuropsychologist Paul Broks' 'Into the Silent Land' is a haunting meditation on the relationship between mind and body, while The Times' Erica Wagner's debut novel 'Seizure' uses epilepsy to explore similar terrain. They discuss the portrayal of epilepsy in literature and drama and its power as a fictional device.
Mike Findlay
Media Officer
Wellcome Trust
T +44 (0)20 7611 8612
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £500 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.