Curating Entanglements: Art and the Future of the Critical Medical Humanities Megha Manjari Mohanty reviews Art and the Critical Medical Humanities, edited by Fiona Johnstone, Allison Morehead, and Imogen Wiltshire (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026), exploring how the volume positi…

Megha Manjari Mohanty reviews Art and the Critical Medical Humanities, exploring how the volume positions art as a methodological tool for rethinking medical knowledge and care alongside cultures of illness and health.

thepolyphony.org/2026/04/21/c...

The Language of “Lunacy” in Late Nineteenth-Century Egypt Yasmin Shafei explores the language of nineteenth-century Egyptian citizens’ petitions and points to its significance for the development culturally sensitive mental health interventions today.

Yasmin Shafei explores the language of nineteenth-century Egyptian citizens’ petitions and points to its significance for the development culturally sensitive mental health interventions today.
thepolyphony.org/2026/04/17/l...

On Voice and the Medical Record Camilla Lyckblad introduces us to her audio installation on medical records and record keeping. Read and listen…

Camilla Lyckblad introduces us to her audio installation on medical records and record keeping. Read and listen…

thepolyphony.org/2026/04/15/v...

If You Go Down to the Woods Today… Kate Marks and Tracey Falcon’s polyvocal creative text, with artwork and audio, explores spinal cord injury and movement within the human and non-human environment.

"Our journey through the woodland is not neutral. Tree roots rise, interrupting, or barring access. The narrow, uneven path is shaped by who we are: disability, gender, class, age, sexuality, race, history..."

Kate Marks and Tracey Falcon for our In Practice series

thepolyphony.org/2026/04/13/d...

Making Space Where None Exists: Creating a Self-Advocacy Zine for Trans+ Autistic Cervical Screening In this second piece about their zine, Cervical screening for trans+ autistic people: A tool for self advocacy, researchers Georgia Rivers and Katie Munday reflect on the motives for and process of…

In this second piece about their zine, Cervical screening for trans+ autistic people: A tool for self advocacy, researchers Georgia Rivers and @kmunday.bsky.social reflect on the motives for and process of their collaboration.

thepolyphony.org/2026/03/27/m...

The “Having” and “Being” Modes of Depression Joshua Clark explores the impact of grammatical and idiomatic differences between English and French on the conceptualisation, experience, and treatment of depression.

Joshua Clark explores the impact of grammatical and idiomatic differences between English and French on the conceptualisation, experience, and treatment of depression.
thepolyphony.org/2026/03/25/h...

Beyond the Journal Article: Making Trans+ Autistic Health Research Accessible In the first of two pieces about their zine, Cervical screening for trans+ autistic people: A tool for self advocacy, researchers Georgia Rivers and Katie Munday discuss the pressing need for acces…

In the first of two pieces about their zine, Cervical screening for trans+ autistic people: A tool for self advocacy, Georgia Rivers and Katie Munday discuss the pressing need for accessible community resources and why they chose to create one for themselves.

thepolyphony.org/2026/03/13/b...

Between the Lab and the Clinic: Perspectives from Medical Humanities and Science and Technology Studies (STS) Kristin D. Hussey and Hannah Star Rogers draw on Science and Technology Studies (STS) to think through how the ‘lab’ is being employed across the medical humanities.

Kristin D. Hussey and Hannah Star Rogers draw on Science and Technology Studies (STS) to think through how the ‘lab’ is being employed across the medical humanities.

thepolyphony.org/2026/03/05/l...

Medicalisation and Medicalising Deviance Liam Marshall reflects on the limits of contemporary medicalisation scholarship which can de-historicise enduring modes of power.

Liam Marshall reflects on the limits of contemporary medicalisation scholarship which can de-historicise enduring modes of power.

thepolyphony.org/2026/02/26/m...

Fluid Boundaries of Cure and Care: Contested Meaning of Intravenous Treatment M. Iqbal Syauqi Al Ghiffary explores Intravenous Treatment as a tangible cultural artefact that transforms abstract suffering into visible care.

M. Iqbal Syauqi explores Intravenous Treatment as a tangible cultural artefact that transforms abstract suffering into visible care.
thepolyphony.org/2026/02/20/f...

The Body in Pain Across Languages: Translating Medical Records into Art Elena Foulis and Julieta Manrique consider additional ways to understand people’s experiences with illness and pain beyond spoken languages, focusing on Manrique’s paintings of her experiences with…

Elena Foulis (@drafoulis.bsky.social) and Julieta Manrique consider additional ways to understand people’s experiences with illness and pain beyond spoken languages, focusing on Manrique’s paintings of her experiences with fibromyalgia.
thepolyphony.org/2026/02/18/t...

Beyond Reductionism: Reimagining Medical Education through the Humanities Vivek N. D. reviews Alan Bleakley’s ‘Medical Humanities: Ethics, Aesthetics, Politics (2024)’, examining the contemporary purpose of medical humanities in medical education.

Vivek N. D. reviews Alan Bleakley’s Medical Humanities: Ethics, Aesthetics, Politics (2024), examining the contemporary purpose of medical humanities in medical education.

thepolyphony.org/2026/02/12/r...

The Cultures of Youth Mental Health Gracie Wilson and Momoko Katayama reflect on the key points raised at the Cultures of Youth Mental Health workshop held at the University of Chicago’s Hong Kong campus.

Gracie Wilson and Momoko Katayama reflect on the key points raised at the Cultures of Youth Mental Health workshop held at the University of Chicago’s Hong Kong campus.

thepolyphony.org/2026/02/10/y...

Articulating Pain: Online Support Groups and Chronic Illness Years of chronic illness left Eve McDonald frustrated by the lack of language available to describe her pain. Rather than submitting to suffering in silence, she chose to piece together a new langu…

Years of chronic illness left Eve McDonald frustrated by lack of language. Rather than submitting to suffering in silence, she chose to piece together a new language, embracing the “ineffability of illness” through creative writing and online support groups.

thepolyphony.org/2026/02/09/a...

My short article on ‘ontological friction’ is out now! Super grateful to @evasurawy.bsky.social for the incredible support

Medical Humanities and Humanistisk hälsoforskning in Sweden: mid-1970s to mid-1990s Kristin Zeiler reflects on features of the early field of medical humanities in Sweden, specifically focusing on Linköping University, and poses three questions for the field based on these feature…

Kristin Zeiler reflects on features of the early field of medical humanities in Sweden, specifically focusing on Linköping University, and poses three questions for the field based on these features.
thepolyphony.org/2026/02/06/m...

Review of the Exhibition: Normal#Verrückt – Zeitgeschichte einer erodierenden Differenz Michaela Clark reviews an exhibition that explores and complicates the social and psychiatric norms of post-war Germany.

Michaela Clark reviews an exhibition that explores and complicates the social and psychiatric norms of post-war Germany.

thepolyphony.org/2026/02/04/n...

Ontological Friction: Understanding Dysmenorrhea through Multiplicity Annie James introduces the concept of ‘ontological friction’ to explore the medical and lived complexity of a form of menstrual pain.

Annie James introduces the concept of ‘ontological friction’ to explore the medical and lived complexity of a form of menstrual pain.

thepolyphony.org/2026/02/02/o...

Hearing the Neuro-Voice in the International Narrative Neurology Network (INNN) Claire Jeantils, Rong Huang, and Benjamin Dalton unravel the stories behind the International Narrative Neurology Network (INNN), a cross-sectoral network that investigates Narrative Neurology from…

Claire Jeantils, Rong Huang, and Benjamin Dalton unravel the stories behind the International Narrative Neurology Network (INNN), a cross-sectoral network that investigates Narrative Neurology from a practical and theoretical perspective.

thepolyphony.org/2026/01/29/i...

When A Name Replaces The Story Monica Ross uses her personal and clinical experience to explore how diagnostic language can clarify, constrain, and quietly shape the meaning of a life.

@drmonicaross.bsky.social uses her personal and clinical experience to explore how diagnostic language can clarify, constrain, and quietly shape the meaning of a life.

thepolyphony.org/2026/01/28/w...

Disabled by Design: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Anindita Charles Xavier explores the representation of disability, state control, and body politics in Ishiguro’s novel.

How can dystopian narratives illuminate real-world structures of coercion, exclusion, and exploitation? Anindita C Xavier explores Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go.

thepolyphony.org/2026/01/27/n...

PhD School 2025: Queer Methodologies in Medical Humanities – the polyphony Conversations across the medical humanities

We're pleased to announce this collection of contributions to The Polyphony from attendees at the 2025 International PhD School on Queer Methodologies in Medical Humanities, which took place in Durham in March 2025.

📖 Read the collection 👇
thepolyphony.org/category/col...

The Language of Medical Concepts in Spanish Julián Bohórquez and Ivory Day reflect on the importance of both translating fundamental terms in philosophy of medicine into Spanish, as well as the value of importing Spanish terminology into the…

Julián Bohórquez and Ivory Day reflect on the importance of translating fundamental terms in philosophy of medicine into Spanish, as well as the value of importing Spanish terminology into the Anglophone discussion.
thepolyphony.org/2026/01/20/m...

Endometriosis in Words: Stories, Emotional Dictionaries, and Endostand Loïc Bourdeau discusses the #ENDOs project and the deployment of narrative tools to challenge the normalisation of endometriosis pain, empower those living with the disease, and educate health prac…

Loïc Bourdeau discusses the #ENDOs project and the deployment of narrative tools to challenge the normalisation of endometriosis pain, empower those living with the disease, and educate health practitioners.
thepolyphony.org/2026/01/14/e...

‘You Choose’: 3D Pills, Cancer, and Personalised Medicine in the Museum Claire Turner and Jack Gann explore questions of personalised medicine, digital technologies, and prevalent health concerns in the exhibition You Choose.

Enjoyed reflecting on @thackraymuseum.bsky.social's 2024 exhibition 'You Choose' in this piece with @jackgann.bsky.social for @the-polyphony.bsky.social. Some fascinating insights into the prevalence of cancer in the popular imagination among all age groups.

thepolyphony.org/2026/01/12/y...

‘You Choose’: 3D Pills, Cancer, and Personalised Medicine in the Museum Claire Turner and Jack Gann explore questions of personalised medicine, digital technologies, and prevalent health concerns in the exhibition You Choose.

Claire Turner and Jack Gann explore questions of personalised medicine, digital technologies, and prevalent health concerns in the exhibition You Choose.

thepolyphony.org/2026/01/12/y...

Epidemic Narratives Dilip K. Das introduces an interdisciplinary framework for epidemic narratives in India by drawing on methods from literature, social theory, and public health. He explores how communities, writers…

Dilip K. Das introduces an interdisciplinary framework for epidemic narratives in India by drawing on methods from literature, social theory, and public health. He explores how communities, writers, and scholars make sense of outbreak narratives.
thepolyphony.org/2026/01/09/e...

When “A Bit Unwell” Means a Lot Xue Dong examines a seemingly euphemistic expression used by Chinese patients that may actually suggest serious discomfort.

Xue Dong examines a seemingly euphemistic expression used by Chinese patients that may actually suggest serious discomfort.
thepolyphony.org/2025/12/19/w...

Holding and Beholding Art Surjavo Sen Gupta reimagines a multisensory art gallery as a space for restoration and ocular relief through his time as a walk leader at the Flowing Heritage exhibition at Arthshila.

Surjavo Sen Gupta reimagines a multisensory art gallery as a space for restoration and ocular relief through his time as a walk leader at the Flowing Heritage exhibition at Arthshila.
thepolyphony.org/2026/01/07/h...

The Boatman of the Sewers: Queering Graphic Medicine Suniti Madaan discusses how Amruta Patil’s graphic narrative Kari reconceptualises graphic medicine to trace the sociocultural and temporal paradigms of sickness in Mumbai.

Suniti Madaan discusses how Amruta Patil’s graphic narrative Kari reconceptualises graphic medicine to trace the sociocultural and temporal paradigms of sickness in Mumbai.
thepolyphony.org/2026/01/05/t...