From public stage to private page: putting health into words with Stephen McGann

Catch-up

Probably best known as a successful TV actor, Stephen McGann (Hon LittD 2019) is currently appearing in the BBC medical drama Call the Midwife as kindly Dr Turner, a committed and hard-working GP in London’s impoverished East End during the early years of the NHS. Yet away from the cameras he is also a passionate communicator and public speaker on the subject of science and medicine in our wider society and an author of books that weave family history, autobiography, popular drama and human testimony into stories that convey the personal side of public health.

So how did Stephen end up as an author as well as an actor?

Listen to the challenges he faced in turning complex health stories into words the public might want to read and how he balanced his busy day job and public persona with the private demands of writing. Find out what it’s actually like to develop and publish a commercial non-fiction book in the age of Amazon and Twitter.

We caught up with Stephen last year while he was receiving his honorary degree, to find out why he is so passionate about public health.