Bedside Reading

Bedside Reading Podcast
  • 4.9 (58)
  • Medicine
  • Updated weekly

A medical humanities podcast where we explore themes from fiction, memoir and other non traditional non-textbooks which help to make us better at what we do.  Hosted by Dr Tara George, a GP and medical educator, in each episode a different guest explores a book that has changed their practice. Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/bedsidereading.bsky.social Facebook or Instagram @bedsidereadingpodcast. If you'd like to recommend a book or to come on the podcast as a guest please email: bedsidereadingpodcast@gmail.com. Episodes hosted by Tara George, edited by Levi Gee

  1. 7 Sept

    A Bridge Across Minds

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 13 of Bedside Reading. In this episode, I am delighted to be joined by Dr Helen Haynes, to discuss her novel A Bridge Across Minds: Mental Illness, Grief and the Fragile Brain. Helen is an old age psychiatrist and, as the saying goes, writers are often encouraged to write about what they know. Set on an older adults' psychiatric ward, this is not a textbook or a clinical guide. Instead, it is a beautifully written work of reflective fiction that explores mental illness, grief, relationships and the complexities of being human. It is a thoughtful and compassionate novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. This conversation feels particularly timely. On 17 September, we mark the Memorial Day for Healthcare Professionals Who Have Died by Suicide. Helen felt strongly that we should acknowledge this day and the important conversations it prompts. Healthcare professionals face an increased risk of suicide, and many colleagues may be struggling in silence. In this episode, we reflect on the importance of recognising distress, supporting one another, and ensuring that help is available when it is needed. Although we touch on themes of mental illness, grief and suicide, this is ultimately a conversation about people, their lives, and the importance of compassion, connection and support. We hope listeners will find it thoughtful and hopeful rather than depressing. As we approach 17 September, we encourage everyone to take a moment to remember colleagues who have died by suicide and to familiarise themselves with the support services available for healthcare professionals. Resources and Support Links to resources, support services and information about the Memorial Day for Healthcare Professionals Who Have Died by Suicide can be found below. https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/national-suicide-memorial-day

  2. 31 Aug

    Could Try Harder

    Send us Fan Mail As we reach the end of Season 12, I'm delighted to close with a truly special conversation. In this episode, I speak with author, illustrator, educator, and autism advocate Eliza Fricker about her latest book, Could Try Harder. Written in a graphic novel format, the book draws on Eliza's own experiences growing up as an autistic girl and young woman who remained undiagnosed until her mid 40s. Many listeners may already know Eliza through her writing and illustrations, or from her widely recognised social media presence under the name "Missing the Mark". Through her work, she has helped countless people better understand autism, neurodivergence, and the realities of navigating a world that often misunderstands autistic experiences. Could Try Harder is an insightful, accessible, and deeply relatable read. Combining humour, honesty, and striking illustrations, Eliza shares her journey from childhood through to adulthood, offering a powerful perspective on identity, belonging, and late diagnosis. Preparing for this conversation was a joy, not least because Eliza has long been one of my social media heroes. Thankfully, despite the saying that you should never meet your heroes, this meeting exceeded all expectations. It feels like the perfect way to bring another great season to a close.

  3. 25 Aug

    Tales of the City

    Send us Fan Mail I'm delighted to welcome Ian Seymour to Bedside Reading to discuss the first two novels in Armistead Maupin's beloved Tales of the City series: Tales of the City and More Tales of the City. These are books I have returned to repeatedly throughout my adult life, and each time I revisit them, I discover something new to love. Rich in warmth, humour, compassion, and humanity, Maupin's novels continue to resonate decades after their original publication. One of the great pleasures of this conversation was discovering just how much Ian also loves these books. Together, we explore what makes the series so enduring and why the residents of 28 Barbary Lane continue to feel so relevant today. As well as celebrating these brilliant novels, we reflect on what they can teach us about community, belonging, identity, and acceptance. We discuss their significance not only as readers and lovers of literature, but also as doctors, considering how the stories might shape our understanding of the people and communities we serve. Whether you're revisiting these books or discovering them for the first time, this conversation is a celebration of a series that has touched generations of readers and continues to offer insight, comfort, and joy. Pride in Practice We discuss the Pride in Practice programme during the episode. Pride in Practice is an LGBTQ+ inclusion programme designed to support primary care services in improving the experiences of LGBTQ+ patients. Find out more here: https://lgbt.foundation/help/pride-in-practice/

  4. 18 Aug

    The Dream Hotel

    Send us Fan Mail I do love an unputdownable page-turner, especially when it's dystopian feminist fiction, and The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami delivers on every front. In this episode of Bedside Reading, I'm delighted to welcome Victoria Sweetmore to the podcast to discuss this compelling and thought-provoking novel. What begins as a gripping speculative thriller quickly opens up into a rich exploration of power, autonomy, surveillance, identity, discrimination, and the ways in which systems can shape and constrain our lives. The Dream Hotel is one of those rare books that manages to be both intensely readable and deeply unsettling. As the story unfolds, it raises questions that linger long after the final page, inviting readers to reflect on the balance between safety and freedom, the use of data and technology, and what it means to be judged for who we are or who we might become. Victoria and I explore the novel's many layers, discussing not only what makes it such an accomplished work of fiction, but also the wider themes and conversations it inspires. Whether you're a fan of dystopian fiction, feminist literature, or simply love a novel that gives you plenty to think about, this is a book well worth discovering.

  5. 10 Aug

    Hungry

    Send us Fan Mail A really warm welcome back today to somebody who I always really enjoy talking to. I'm delighted to have Ben Tyler here today to talk about Hungry by Katriona O'Sullivan, which is Katriona O'Sullivan's second memoir which addresses topics around body shaming, hunger for food, for love, for achievement. Ben has a really fascinating career, including a specialist interest in obesity medicine. So we're using this book as a jumping off point today to think about obesity, stigma, shame, and so much more.  I absolutely loved the book Hungry, but I've loved it even more after talking to Ben, and I hope you'll enjoy our conversation too.

  6. 3 Aug

    Training in Charity

    Send us Fan Mail A warm welcome today to Dr. Alan Saxon, a retired general surgeon from Chicago and the USA and author of Training in Charity, which is an absolutely brilliant medical novel in the genre of something like the pit or ER casualty. It has appeal to people like me who are medical educators and fascinated by the way that medical students in the US were taught in the 1970s compared with how we teach in the UK now but  is also for anyone who loves stories and the sense of humanity and character development. It's a really lovely novel, and I have thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed talking to Alan about it today.

  7. 27 Jul

    Normal Family

    Send us Fan Mail A warm welcome today to Pete Aird, who is here to talk about Henry Normal and Angela Pell's wonderful memoir, A Normal Family: Everyday Adventures with Our Autistic Son. This is a book which absolutely blew me away. I couldn't put it down.  I have adored Henry Normal's poetry for quite some time, and it was a really amazing window into the lives of two people, very successful TV people, and and Henry also as a poet, recognising that their son was going to be different to how they had imagined that he was going to be. They explore the challenges of bringing up a young person who is autistic and has a learning disability and the changes that that has required in them, the feelings that they have had and a really brutally honest portrayal of what it is to love and cherish and parent somebody who doesn't always give anything very much back to you and who you love so very much, want to protect, but don't have all of the tools to parent because the books are all based on a "normal" child.

  8. 20 Jul

    Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

    Send us Fan Mail A really warm welcome today to Eva Hibbs, who is here to talk about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. This is an absolutely hilarious and very, very different novel i'm following a nine-year-old boy called Oscar in New York City following the death of his father. It's a really interesting,  thought-provoking novel with themes of undiagnosied neurodiversity and intergenerational trauma. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it's been great to talk about it with Eva today.

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4.9
out of 5
58 Ratings

About

A medical humanities podcast where we explore themes from fiction, memoir and other non traditional non-textbooks which help to make us better at what we do.  Hosted by Dr Tara George, a GP and medical educator, in each episode a different guest explores a book that has changed their practice. Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/bedsidereading.bsky.social Facebook or Instagram @bedsidereadingpodcast. If you'd like to recommend a book or to come on the podcast as a guest please email: bedsidereadingpodcast@gmail.com. Episodes hosted by Tara George, edited by Levi Gee

Information

  • Creator
    Bedside Reading Podcast
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    249
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bedside Reading
  • Show Website
    Bedside Reading

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