Cognitive Conversations #3 Narrative Medicine: On Writing the Mind and Body

Writing through the body, about life and death, illness and everything in-between is what connects people and allows us to see humanity anew. Come along for this deep dive on Narrative Medicine and writing mind and body with three fascinating storytellers…

In this episode, Dr Fiona Reilly takes us through the fundamentals of what Narrative Medicine is, and what it looks like in practice, describing the tremendous work she and colleague Dr Mariam Tokhi are doing at the forefront of delivering the country’s first dedicated narrative medicine program.  

Award-winning author Carly-Jay Metcalfe speaks candidly about her first-hand experience navigating the medical system before, and since, her life-giving double lung transplant at 21. Carly shares her experiences of care in a medical setting, and where she sees narrative medicine fitting into this picture. 

Dr Melissa Dickson enriches the discussion with her expertise on the history of medicine, and enduring love for Victorian-era science, art and literature. A self-confessed ‘Victorianist’ at heart, Melissa illuminates how medicine has evolved since the reign of the Victorians and their ‘lack of disciplinary boundaries’.

‘Narrative Medicine: On Writing the Mind and Body’ is the third episode in Cognitive Conversations, a series where we tackle the big questions in art and science. This series is hosted and produced by Bianca Millroy, an emerging science writer, editor and podcaster based in Meanjin (Brisbane). 

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We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.