Come and discover The Untold Stories of India's First Women in Medicine'

Thursday, the 7th of November from 17:30 to 19:45

The Weston Room, Maughan Library

Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1LR

About the Event:

Immerse yourself in the world of Kavitha Rao's – Lady Doctors as we dive into The Untold Stories of India's First Women in Medicine a book about six of India's first Indian female physicians in Western medicine. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear the author read excerpts from their work, share insights, and engage in a lively discussion with fellow book lovers.

In Lady Doctors, Kavitha Rao unearths the extraordinary stories of six Indian women from the 1860s to the 1930s, who defied the idea that they were unfit for medicine by virtue of their gender. From Anandibai Joshi, who broke caste rules to Rukhmabai Raut who escaped a child marriage, divorced her husband and studied to be a doctor, to child widow Haimabati Sen- who overcame poverty and hardship- these women had a profound and lasting impact."

What to Expect:

Experience the magic of the written word as Kavitha reads from Chapter 2: "The Good Wife", about Anandibai Joshi, India's first woman doctor to study Western medicine.

Hosted by: The reading will be hosted by Yvonne Batson Wright

Yvonee has a background in Nursing, Midwifery, Health Visiting and Practice Nursing and is also a qualified Coach and NLP Practitioner.

She's a Lecturer in Medical Education at King's College London within the MBBS programme and works as a tutor and Educational Supervisor for the Stage 2 Longitudinal Placement for second-year medical students. Additionally, she acts as the Stage 2 Liaison and Support Lead for KUMEC (King's Undergraduate Medical Education in the Community), where she provides pastoral support for students.

She also teaches clinical communication within the MBBS programme, within the Values-based Clinical Practice longitudinal theme.

Her professional interests include leadership skills, coaching, equality, diversity and inclusion, and inter-professional education.

Yvonne recently completed an MA in Clinical Education, with research centred on the importance of leadership skills for Stage 2 students and strategies to help students develop these skills for their future roles as doctors.

Q&A Session: Have your questions ready. This is your chance to ask the author about their inspiration and writing process.

Book Signing: Get your copy signed and take home a personalised keepsake.

Feel free to invite fellow book enthusiasts. We look forward to welcoming you to the reading.

About the Author:

Kavitha Rao is an author, journalist and trainer living in London. Lady Doctors is her third book. She writes on history, culture, the arts, and society for several international papers. Her work has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, the South China Morning Post, the National, the Hindu, Mint, and others. Her fourth book will be out in early 2025.

Kavitha's work has been published in the Guardian, the New York Times, the South China Morning Post, the National, Quartz and several others. Her website is at www.kavitharao.net.

Host or Publisher KCL Libraries & Collections Anti-Racism Community of Practice