Jackie will tell the story of how she tried to find out what happened to her grandparents, Ruby and Julie, after their bodies went to the University of Queensland medical school nearly 50 years ago.
Weaving the personal with the rich history of medical cadaver research, Jackie will explore the practicalities and ethics of whole-body donation, and take a deep dive into anatomy, a science that helped form the foundation of medicine.
She will slowly stitch together an understanding of the dissection process, and discuss some of the intriguing people she writes about in her book - anatomists, doctors, technicians, scientists, artists and the dissected. She will also discuss her experiences of visiting a surgical workshop, a forensic facility and various anatomical museums.
About the author
Jackie Dent is a journalist who has worked for major media outlets including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, Monocle, The New York Times, Reuters, Strewth! and others. Her career has included stints with the United Nations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Ossetia and South Sudan. She has curated public talks for Tedx and Clear Spot Club. She is currently doing a PhD on 'The Pleasures of War' at the University of Sydney.
There will be copies of the book on sale on the day.
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