Two Indian-American authors have been shortlisted for the 30,000 pound Wellcome Book Prize, which celebrates fiction and non-fiction works engaged with the topics of health and medicine.
Siddhartha Mukherjee is on the list of the annual prize for his study of genetics and mental health in his book The Gene.
He is joined by fellow Indian-American author Paul Kalanithi, who could become the first posthumous winner of the prize for his life-affirming reflection on facing mortality When Breath Becomes Air.
Kirty Topiwala, publisher at Wellcome Collection and Wellcome Book Prize Manager, said: "With so many new books now being published in this area, the quality of this selection is necessarily high, and we are immensely proud of this year’s superb shortlist.
"Each of these books offers the reader something different, but they all capture the acute pleasures and pains of being human."
When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir which chronicles Kalanithi's transformation from medical student to neurosurgeon, patient and father before his sad death from cancer while working on this book.
It is the first posthumously published title to be in contention for the Wellcome Book Prize.
The Gene highlights the relevance of genetics within everyday life and interrogates concerns with our growing ability to alter the human genome. Woven within this narrative is an intimate story of Mukherjee's own family and its recurring pattern of mental illness.
They form part of six short-listed titles for this year, which were unveiled by the chair of judges and celebrated Scottish crime writer Val McDermid at the London Book Fair.
The other titles in the running include How to Survive a Plague by David France, Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss, and I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong.
"What these six challenging, diverse and enriching titles have in common is their insight into what it means to be human. Together they form a mosaic that illuminates our relationship with health and medicine. It spans our origins, our deaths and much that lies between, from activism to acts of human kindness," McDermid said.
US-based Mukherjee has been nominated previously for The Emperor of All Maladies in 2011.
The 2017 winner will be announced at a ceremony at Wellcome Collection on April 24.
Wellcome Collection is a free visitor destination in London which explores the connections between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future. The Wellcome Book Prize was created to reward new works of fiction or non-fiction that have a central theme that engages with some aspect of medicine, health or illness.
A 19th-century painting in Wiesbaden sees a massive visitor surge.
Fans spotted a direct link to the opening shot of The Fate of Ophelia.
Museum staff were completely caught off guard by the 'Swiftie' invasion.
They are now planning special tours to capitalise on the unexpected fame.
The question on everyone's mind: did Taylor Swift visit this place herself?
It is not every day a quiet German museum gets caught in a pop culture hurricane. But that is exactly what has happened at Museum Wiesbaden, where a painting of Shakespeare’s Ophelia has become a pilgrimage site. The reason? Taylor Swift’s latest music video for The Fate of Ophelia kicks off with a scene that looks ripped straight from their gallery wall. Suddenly, they have queues of fans where usually there is just quiet contemplation.
The Ophelia painting that Swifties say inspired The Fate of Ophelia becomes an overnight sensation Instagram/taylorswift
How did this Ophelia painting become so popular?
To be honest, it was simply hanging there. Friedrich Heyser’s work from about 1900. It is lovely, sure, but it was not a headline act. Then the video drops. And you see it immediately in the pose, the white dress, and the water lilies. It is practically a direct copy or, let us say, an homage. Fans on social media connected the dots in hours. Now the museum cannot believe its luck. Visitor numbers went from a few dozen admirers to hundreds, just over one weekend, like a whole new crowd for a century-old painting.
What has the museum said about the surprise attention?
They are thrilled, but a bit stunned. A spokesperson said it was a "shock" and they are having an "absolute Ophelia run." Can you blame them? One minute you are managing a classical collection, the next you are at the centre of a global fan phenomenon. They tried to reach Swift’s team, but they had no luck there. But they have leaned into it completely. Now they are organising a special "Ophelia reception" with guided tours. Smart move, right? It is a perfect storm of high art and pop star power, and they are riding the wave.
The big question: did Taylor Swift actually visit?
This is the real mystery, is not it? How did this specific painting, in this specific German museum, end up as the template for a mega-budget video? The staff are wondering the same thing. She was in Germany for the Eras tour last July. Did she slip in, incognito? Did a location scout send a photo? The museum thinks they would have noticed if Taylor Swift was wandering their halls. Who knows? It is the sort of stuff that feeds fan speculation for years. Whatever the facts, the painting's life has been irreversibly altered.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.