Description

In recent decades, literary and cultural studies have secured a rightful place within the (Critical) Medical 
and Health Humanities. Initially, literary studies played a foundational role in shaping discussions on the 
relationship between literature and medicine (Brody, Charon, Frank). Today, they contribute more broadly 
to analyzing narrative and textual representations of illness, death, and care while offering theoretical and 
methodological insights that expand our understanding of health and well-being. Applied literary studies, 
for instance, have influenced reading and storytelling practices in clinical, therapeutic, and community 
settings. Literary and cultural scholars have also been central to the development of the Critical Medical 
Humanities and Health Humanities, which challenge dominant perspectives on health, embodiment, and 
medical ethics. This is reflected in key journal publications and the growth of international networks, such 
as the CHARM Network.
This three-day interdisciplinary seasonal school aims to highlight the complexity of perspectives that 
literary and cultural studies bring to the (Critical) Medical Humanities. Literature provides a unique space 
to explore embodied experiences, affective and narrative complexity, and the entanglement of cultural, 
sociopolitical, and medical imaginaries. At the same time, we critically examine how this interdisciplinary 
engagement affects literature itself. To what extent can and should literary and cultural scholarship resist 
instrumentalization? How can we contribute to the broader Medical Humanities without reducing 
literature and culture to mere tools for healthcare interventions? The societal value of Health Humanities 
research is evident. It serves as a corrective to a rigid biomedical approach that risks overlooking the 
human aspects of care. At the same time, our seasonal school responds to a call for action by Neil Vickers 
and Derek Bolton (Being Ill: On Sickness, Care and Abandonment, 2024) to bridge Health Humanities with 
recent biomedical developments. 
Our planned outreach event (August 28) will bring together scholars and practitioners for an in-depth 
discussion on the role of literature, art, and culture in health and care.
Each of the three days will consist of morning and afternoon sessions. Morning sessions will feature 
lectures from experts in various fields, providing a solid theoretical foundation. Afternoon sessions will be 
dedicated to reading sessions, workshops, and discussions, where participants can engage with possible 
research methods and case studies in the field. At least one afternoon will be dedicated to discussing 
students’ own papers (sent in advance) to get feedback on their work.