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Our second prestigious roundtable explores how medical humanities improves clinical practice. All are welcome.

We were delighted to be able to celebrate our launch with our first prestigious roundtable panel, and a celebration featuring speeches and creative performances on Friday 27th March. Chair Susan Wardell, and panellists Karyn Paringatai, Helen Nicholson, Barbara Brookes, Elizabeth Stephens, and Maebh Long, during the roundtable panel. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Elvy) The roundtable panel was opened with words from Otago's DVC Research & Innovation, Gregory Cook, which we are

The latest issue of the Flash Frontier journal is themed around ‘Endings’, and sponsored by our centre, and is now live online here . You can read Susan Wardell's commentary on the theme, as a guest editor, here . Check out the full range of creative short-form writing on this theme, as well as several recorded discussion panels . Of special interest to some of our members’ interests will be panels on: Silence that Speaks : The Role (and Restriction) of the Arts in Resp

We are thrilled to announce our new grant programme is now open! These research grants are designed to support researchers (and their creative collaborators) to engage the public and specific stakeholder communities with their findings, in meaningful and innovative ways. University of Otago researchers may apply for up to $3,000, with between three and six grants awarded in total each year. 2026 Timeline March 27th: Open for applications May 31st: Applications close 30 th

The Centre is thrilled to be sponsoring two issues of the Flash Frontier journal, The first issue, themed around He Mutunga: Endings, is currently open for submissions of pieces of writing of a maximum 250 words The Centre is also convening two recorded panels, under the theme of Endings, and tied to topics in the medical humanities, which will be released on the journal's YouTube channel.

We are now open for applications from people who would like to participate in our 2026 community creative workshop programme. This year's programme focuses on people with lived experiences of Long Covid and/or ME/CFS, offering personalised mentorship in short-form creative writing (including poetry or flash fiction). Workshop format and output The workshop programme will run over the first half of 2026, with the number and format of sessions designed based on feedback from

This year we are hosting a series of roundtable panels, on the topic of "What is the medical humanities" as a way to invite more people to engage with and learn about this field. The first panel will be on Friday 27th March, at 3:00-4:30pm, and will be followed by our launch party. Announcements on speakers to come soon!

In late 2025 we were thrilled to receive the news that our application for funding for a new research Centre, focused on the Medical Humanities, had been funded by the University of Otago. We shared a little about what this means to us, here. What's next We already have a strong and engaged membership, and are working now on setting up our 2026 programme of events, community workshops, grants, and creative activities, as well as getting all the infrastructure in place, to w