Bedside Reading

Shred Sisters

09 Dec 2025

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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

02 Dec 2025

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Send us a textHow Christmasy are you feeling? It's December now and I know for some people this is a really exciting time of year.Today's po...

The Wonders of Dr Bent

25 Nov 2025

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Send us a textI'm delighted to welcome Professor Paul Crawford to the podcast today. We are talking about his novel, The Wonders of Dr Bent, desc...

I who have never known men

18 Nov 2025

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Send us a textA warm welcome back today to GP Kirsty Shires, who's here today to talk with me about Jacqueline Harpman's 1995 novel, I Who H...

Educated

11 Nov 2025

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Send us a textEducated by Tara Westover is one of those books which has really stayed with me since I first read it back in 2018. It's also a boo...

Fear and Loathing in Plymouth

04 Nov 2025

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Send us a textWelcome to  November 2025 and season 11 of the podcast,. We are celebrating our 4th Birthday in November and my guest today, Claire Le ...

BONUS EPISODE: The best of what has been....

28 Oct 2025

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Send us a textTo celebrate the end of season 10 and our 4th birthday, today's episode is a little bit different. I've chosen a small snippet...

The Ayatollah's Gaze

21 Oct 2025

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Send us a textIt is a huge pleasure today to welcome doctor and writer, Majid Parsa. We're talking about The Ayatollah's Gaze: a memoir of t...

Ultra Women

13 Oct 2025

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Send us a textIt's a real treat today to welcome one of the authors of Ultra Women, Emma Wilkinson to the podcast. Ultra Women, written by Emma W...

The Age of Diagnosis

07 Oct 2025

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Send us a textSuzanne O'Sullivan's The Age of Diagnosis was hotly awaited and has received a lot of discussion on social media and in the na...

Maybe I'm Amazed

29 Sep 2025

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Send us a textJohn Harris' excellent book Maybe I'm Amazed has been one of my non-fiction top reads this year. It was a huge pleasure to we...

Quacks

22 Sep 2025

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Send us a textA warm welcome today to Dr. Ahmed Handy, who is here to talk about his memoir, Quacks. We've recorded today my favourite bookshop, ...

Medication, Madness and Murder

15 Sep 2025

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Send us a textMedication, Mental Illness and Murder. What Really Killed the Crespi Twins? sounds like the title of a true crime book or a thriller. I ...

Your Worry Makes Sense

09 Sep 2025

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Send us a textIt's a huge pleasure today to welcome Martin Brunet to Bedside Reading. We are talking about his fabulous book, Your Worry Makes Se...

Brotherless Night

02 Sep 2025

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Send us a textBrotherless Night by VV Ganeshanathan, which won the Women's Prize last year, was my absolute top read of 2024. It's been a re...

The Story of a Heart

25 Aug 2025

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Send us a text I'm delighted to welcome Jo Rose to the podcast to talk about The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clark. This is an incredibly moving ...

Leadership Hikers

19 Aug 2025

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Send us a textI've got two guests with me today, Joanna Bircher and Ben Allen, two GPs who are talking about a book they've both been involv...

Havoc

11 Aug 2025

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Send us a textA warm welcome back to the podcast today to novelist Rebecca Wait. We are today talking about her fabulous novel Havoc, which was publis...

Belly Full

04 Aug 2025

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Send us a textToday I am delighted to be talking to Heidi Edmondson, consultant in emergency medicine from London. We are talking about her second boo...

Playing Big

28 Jul 2025

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Send us a textHave you ever suffered from imposter syndrome? I think most healthcare professionals have done at some point during their lives. Today&a...

Blue Sons and Skyshine

21 Jul 2025

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Send us a textRegular listeners may remember that I always say that I don't like fantasy and also how excited that I get when I am able to talk t...

Needle

15 Jul 2025

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Send us a textIt's a huge pleasure to welcome the brilliant Becky Platt to Bedside Reading this week. We're talking about Needle by Patrice ...

Trust me, I'm Exhausted

07 Jul 2025

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Send us a textA very warm welcome today to retired paediatrician, Dr Harry Stone, who is here today to talk about his memoir, Trust Me, I'm Exhau...

Nonviolent Communication

30 Jun 2025

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Send us a textI'm really delighted today to welcome Scott Weingart to  Bedside Reading. Scott is an emergency critical care physician from New Y...

The Midwife

24 Jun 2025

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Send us a textA very warm welcome today to midwife and educator Suzanne Crozier. We are talking about a book called The Midwife by Tricia Cresswell, w...

Georgia Vine: Occupational Therapy, Disability Activism and Me

16 Jun 2025

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Send us a textI'm really pleased today to be welcoming Georgia Vine to Bedside Reading. Georgia is an OT and is the author of Occupational Therap...

The Anxious Generation

09 Jun 2025

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Send us a textI'm here today with Laura Spells to talk about a book called The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. And we are thinking about Ge...

Bonus Episode: Interpretations of Love

07 Jun 2025

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Send us a textIt is a great pleasure today to re-release an episode from back in season 7 to celebrate the paperback edition of to Jane Campbell’s n...

Reading Well. The Reading Agency: Books on Prescription

03 Jun 2025

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Send us a textWelcome to season 10 of Bedside Reading and what a series I've got lined up for you this time around! I am delighted to be launchin...

Bedside Poetry: Rema Jyothirmayi and I explore "Now I become myself" by May Sarton

27 May 2025

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Bedside Poetry: Charley Baker and I explore "Nasty Woman" by Nina Donovan

19 May 2025

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Send us a textNina Donovan's brilliant poem Nasty Woman moves me so much every time I hear it, or read it. It's such a joy to welcome Charle...

Bedside Poetry: Jo Maher and I explore "Three Little Birds" by Jackie Kay

12 May 2025

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Send us a textIn this episode, I'm joined by GP Jo Maher as we delve into Jackie Kay’s evocative poem “Three Little Birds” We explore grief...

Bedside Poetry: Sam Guglani and I explore "Preparation" by Czesław Miłosz

06 May 2025

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Send us a textIt's a real treat to welcome one of my all time medical humanities heroes to the podcast again this week. Sam Guglani is an oncolog...

Bedside Poetry: Lizz Lidbury and I explore "Arguing in the Headmaster's Office" by Hollie McNish

29 Apr 2025

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Send us a textI'm not sure I can say I have a favourite poet but if I were forced to choose the incredible Hollie McNish would be up there as a h...

Bedside Poetry: Tom Oates and I explore "For Andrew Wood" by James Fenton

22 Apr 2025

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Send us a textThere is a wonderful recording of James Fenton reading this wonderful poem here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D3KcWVfQS8 it is well ...

Bedside Poetry: Sabina Dosani and I explore "Visit to the Vets" by Ilse Pedler

15 Apr 2025

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Send us a textWelcome to the third in a short special series of "Bedside Poetry" podcasts.One poem, one guest, one conversation....I'm ...

Bedside Poetry: Vicky Thomas and I explore "in time of daffodils" by ee cummings

08 Apr 2025

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Bedside Poetry: Beth Osmond and I explore "Ode to Dalya's Bald Spot" by Angel Nafis

01 Apr 2025

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Send us a textWelcome to the first of a short special series of "Bedside Poetry" podcasts.One poem, one guest, one conversation....I'm ...

Soldier Sailor

25 Mar 2025

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Send us a textThis is the last episode in season eight of the podcast. What a season we've had, finishing off with discussion of Soldier Sailor b...

Dirty Laundry

18 Mar 2025

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Send us a textI'm delighted to welcome Abi Lucking, GP and Medical Educator to Bedside Reading today. We are talking about Dirty Laundry by Richa...

The Madness of Grief

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Reverend Richard Cole's memoir of grieving for his husband David, The Madness of Grief, is I think one of the most brilliant an...

A Beginners Guide to Dying

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt's a really warm welcome back today to Anna Baverstock, a paediatrician from Taunton in Somerset. We are talking today about A Be...

When the Dust Settles - Lucy Easthope

25 Feb 2025

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Send us a textLucy Easthope's book, When the Dust Settles, is quite possibly one of the most astonishing things I have ever read. Having come bac...

The Heart of the Matter

18 Feb 2025

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Send us a textToday I am talking to Kas Hawes, a GP in the North of England, about her book, The Heart of the Matter, A Day in the Life of a GP. On th...

Unheard

11 Feb 2025

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Send us a textWhat a treat recording this episode was.  Such a privilege to meet one of my medical writing heroes,  Dr. Rageshri Dhairyawan to talk ...

Prophet Song

04 Feb 2025

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Send us a textI was so glad to get to talk to GP Amy Fulton about Prophet Song by Paul Lynch.  This is an astonishingly good dystopian fiction novel,...

Aftershock

28 Jan 2025

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Send us a textI'd like to dedicate today's episode of Bedside Reading to Corporal Hugh Cunningham of the Royal Engineers.  Hugh died in 200...

Never Split the Difference

21 Jan 2025

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Send us a textI love coming back to books I've read in the past that I've half remembered and half forgotten and it's one of those epis...

Age Proof

14 Jan 2025

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Send us a textI'm really pleased to welcome GP, lifestyle medicine expert and GP educator Anish Kotecha to Bedside Reading today. We are talking ...

How To Rise

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHappy New Year listeners! Have you made any New Year's resolutions? Have you decided that 2025 is the year where things are going t...

Twixtmas Special 2024

31 Dec 2024

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Send us a textI've got a collaborative Twixtmas special coming up today. I've asked a number of friends of the podcast to tell us about thei...

My Favourite Mistake

24 Dec 2024

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Send us a textI imagine there may be lots of listeners who are very familiar with Marion Keyes and the Walsh family so it was a great joy today to be ...

In the Dream House

17 Dec 2024

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Send us a textToday's book is one like nothing else I've ever read. It's a real treat to talk to liaison psychiatrist Amy Gledhill abou...

Own Your Period

10 Dec 2024

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Send us a textIt's a huge treat today to welcome Chella Quint OBE to Bedside Reading. Chella is a period activist and educator from Sheffield and...

The Outrun

03 Dec 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome today to former GP and now headache specialist, Dr Janice Heath, who joins me today to talk about The Outrun, Amy Liptrot...

Hope - Scottish Book Trust 2024

26 Nov 2024

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Send us a textIt's a welcome back today to psychiatrist Gill Patterson, who's here to talk about the Scottish Book Trust's Book Week Sc...

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

19 Nov 2024

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Send us a textIt's a real joy today to welcome GP Eugenia Lee back to Bedside Reading to talk about Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See, ...

Us, After

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt was a huge honour to get an email from Rachel Zimmerman's publicist asking if I would consider reading a pre-publication copy of...

You don't have to be mad to work here (Benji Waterhouse)

05 Nov 2024

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Send us a textWelcome to the first episode of season 8 of Bedside Reading!! I am delighted today to welcome Martin Billington back to Bedside Reading ...

Bonus episode reboot: This Winter (Heartstopper)

29 Oct 2024

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Send us a textIt's a rewind episode today. I think lots of people have been watching the incredible season three of Heartstopper on Netflix. If y...

Strong Female Character

22 Oct 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome today to Rebecca Henleywillis, who describes herself as a "Patchwork GP". Listen on to find out what a patchwor...

The Song of the Whole Wide World

15 Oct 2024

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Send us a textTrigger warning: baby lossThis episode is especially for baby loss awareness week. Tamarin Norwood's incredible book about her son ...

Interpretations of Love

08 Oct 2024

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Send us a textIt is a great pleasure today to welcome novelist Jane Campbell to Bedside Reading.  Jane is here today to talk about her first novel: I...

All My Wild Mothers

01 Oct 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome back today to Bedside Reading to Catriona Davis. This is Catriona's fourth time on the podcast, and it's a real...

The Golden Rule - Dr Lucy Pollock

24 Sep 2024

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Send us a textIf I'm a bit overexcitable and squealy today, it's because I'm having a proper fangirl moment talking to Dr Lucy Pollock ...

The Butterfly House

17 Sep 2024

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Send us a textIt's a first on bedside reading today in that I've got three guests rather than my customary one and occasional two. I am deli...

Girl Unmasked

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI am so delighted to be talking to Emily Katy, the author of Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life. I love talking to au...

Fighting for the soul of General Practice

03 Sep 2024

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Send us a textI've got two brilliant guests with me to today, Roo Shah and Jens Foell, who have written a phenomenal book called Fighting for the...

Heart

27 Aug 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome back today to James Thambirajah, who is here to talk to me about a book called Heart, a History by Sandip Jauhar. This is...

Strange Sally Diamond

20 Aug 2024

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Send us a textIt's a warm welcome back to a guest today. I'm delighted to be talking to Susan Matthew about Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nug...

Poetry for Life and Other Chronic Conditions

13 Aug 2024

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Send us a textRegular listeners will know that I love talking to writers and I love poetry. So what a joy it is today to welcome Anna Davidson to Beds...

Turn the Ship Around

06 Aug 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome back to GP, educator and YouTube sensation, Dave Hindmarsh. Today we are going to be talking about Turn the Ship Around, ...

Elizabeth is Missing

30 Jul 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome today to podcast legend and all round inspiration Dr Rachel Morris. Rachel is best known for hosting her own phenomenal p...

Covenant of Water

23 Jul 2024

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Send us a textI've got a cracking episode coming up for you today. I'm delighted to be joined by Joe Thomas, a hospitalist, from Buffalo in ...

Shy

16 Jul 2024

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Send us a textToday's episode is all about a very short and very powerful novel by Max Porter, Shy. In 122 pages Max Porter inhabits the mind of ...

Books to inspire your clinical career

08 Jul 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome back to a previous guest today. It's a real joy to be talking to  Professor Ellie Hothersall-Davis from the Univers...

Clytemnestra's Bind

02 Jul 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome back today to Victoria Kinkaid who's here to talk about Clytemnestra's bind by Susan C Wilson.  This is a mode...

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr

25 Jun 2024

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Send us a textIt's a warm welcome back today to Lizz Lidbury who joins me to talk about The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr. This is such an...

Pessimism is for lightweights

18 Jun 2024

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Send us a textIt's a welcome back for my guest this week! I'm delighted to have Jo Maher  GP and active travel enthusiast from Sheffield on...

The Panopticon

11 Jun 2024

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Send us a textJoining me today on the podcast is forensic psychiatrist Gill Patterson and we are talking about The Panopticon by Jenny Fagan.  This i...

Women's Prize for Fiction - Shortlist

04 Jun 2024

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Send us a textWelcome to Season 7 !!!!!  I am so excited to launch this new season with an episode which is all about the Women's Prize shortlis...

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

28 May 2024

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Send us a textIt's a first today and that is my first medical student guest on the podcast!! A huge welcome to Omar Al-Rubaie,  a third year med...

Microskills

21 May 2024

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Send us a textIt's an absolute joy today to welcome Dr Adaira Landry and Dr Resa Lewiss to Bedside Reading. They have written an absolutely pheno...

Unnatural Causes

14 May 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome today to Jordan Napier Morrow, staff development lead in the School of Medicine at Dundee University. We are talking abou...

The Queen of Dirt Island

07 May 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome today to Dani Hall who is here to talk about Donal Ryan's The Queen of Dirt Island . This is a book that I'd he...

Leadership Special Episode

30 Apr 2024

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Send us a textToday is a special episode of the podcast where I'm welcoming friends, leaders from all sorts of branches of healthcare to share a ...

Unwell Women

23 Apr 2024

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Send us a textIt's a real honour today to welcome Professor Chloe Orkin to Bedside Reading . Chloe  is a researcher, an HIV specialist, a doctor...

The Right Kind of Wrong

16 Apr 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome today to Ben Allen, a GP from Sheffield who is here to talk to me about Amy Edmondson's second book The Right Kind o...

Womb

09 Apr 2024

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Send us a textAs many regular listeners may know I absolutely love talking to authors about their books, especially healthcare professional authors an...

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

02 Apr 2024

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Send us a textIt's a joy today to welcome back Kirsty Shires to Bedside Reading. Kirsty and I first connected last year over Michael Rosen's...

Why Can't I See My GP?

26 Mar 2024

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Send us a text I'm delighted to welcome Ellen Welch, GP and writer to today's epsiode of Bedside Reading. Ellen's book Why Can't ...

A Fortunate Man

19 Mar 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome today to Alan Shirley GP and Medical Educator to talk about A Fortunate Man: The story of a country doctor. The seminal J...

The Book About Getting Older

12 Mar 2024

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Send us a textDr Lucy Pollock's The Book About Getting Older has got to be one of the most compassionate, wise and useful books I have read. It w...

The Grief Nurse

05 Mar 2024

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Send us a textImagine you could be rid of your sadness, your anxiety, your heartache, your fear.Imagine you could take those feelings from others and ...

The Belly of the Whale

27 Feb 2024

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Send us a textIan Walsh is a Surgeon, psychosexual therapist, academic, musician and an alcoholic. We are talking about Ian's phenomenal book. Th...

Kinder Scout

20 Feb 2024

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Send us a textToday's book is a slightly different type of book to actually almost anything that I've ever read before Kinder scout the peop...

A Curious History of Sex

13 Feb 2024

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Send us a textIt's Valentine's Day this week and so what better way to celebrate than with a podcast that's all about sex! I'm del...

Killer Looks

06 Feb 2024

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Send us a textA warm welcome this week to plastic surgeon Sindhoo Rangarajan who suggested to me a fascinating book which I would absolutely not have ...

The Good People

30 Jan 2024

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Send us a textWhat a treat to welcome Maddy Hover (aka the best read zombie fiction fan known to facebook) to Bedside Reading at long last.We are talk...

The Vagina Bible

23 Jan 2024

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Send us a textDr Jen Gunter OBGYN has got to be one of my favourite social media doctors. Straight talking, easy to understand and full of wisdom and ...