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This is going to hurt

In the Voltaire Lecture 2020, Adam Kay will provide a no-holds-barred account of his time on the NHS front line, of 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and of waving goodbye to friends and relationships. He will lift the lid on one of the UK’s most-cherished institutions, founded by humanist Nye Bevan, and offer a glimpse into the motivations and experiences of NHS doctors, nurses, and staff, despite the immense personal and emotional strain it can bring.

About Dr Adam Kay

Adam Kay is an award-winning comedian and writer for TV and film. He previously worked for many years as a junior doctor. His book This Is Going to Hurt was a Sunday Times number one bestseller for over a year, breaking all records, and has sold over 1.5 million copies. It has been translated into 36 languages and is the winner of four National Book Awards, including Book of the Year.

About the Voltaire Lecture series

The Voltaire Lecture explores ‘any aspect of scientific or philosophical thought or human activity as affected by or with particular reference to humanism’. The Voltaire medallist has made a significant contribution in one of these fields.

The lecture and medal are named for the philosopher Voltaire and The Voltaire Lectures Fund was originally established by the legacy of Theodore Besterman, biographer of Voltaire.

Previous Voltaire Lectures on a medical theme have included Henry Marsh’s 2018 lecture, ‘Do No Harm’.