Hippocrates of London

n the pre-Covid UK capital, Melo, a young blogger and anthropologist, is sought out by the mysterious Dr Elpis, a woman who hides her face.

Despite the doctor’s secrecy, Melo is intrigued by her open and honest desire to share her worldview as one of the last independent doctors in London. Over a period of twelve weeks, Melo has conversations with Dr Elpis, learning what it truly means to be a doctor, to be human, and, as a result, slowly becomes more aware of the world around her. Hippocrates of London tells real-life medical anecdotes with a clever blend of storytelling, dream recalls, poems and references to myths and history.

It questions and challenges the contradictions and complacencies at the heart of modern medical care. In setting up the Hippocratic oath as the line of reasoning along a young Londoner’s voyage of discovery, Hippocrates of London sets medical ethics as a timeless and universal compass for our humanity. Whip-smart, provocative and animated by a mystical quest of universality, it is one of the most original collections of medical stories in recent years.