In this wide-ranging conversation — author, physician, journalist, editor, mother, and Antarctic expedition guide (and much else) — Monica Kidd discusses the origins of her new novel The Crane. She also shares her creative advice for doctor-writers (“notice everything, dismiss nothing”), and tells us what she’s keeping an eye out for in her role as editor of the CMAJ Encounters column.

About Our Guest:

Monica Kidd is an award-winning multidisciplinary writer, journalist, and physician. She has published eight books of fiction poetry and non-fiction, including her new novel The Crane (Breakwater, 2025), and her creative work has appeared in many literary magazines, winning the Edna Staebler Award for Personal Essay and National Magazine Awards.

Previously a reporter with CBC, her freelance writing has been featured in The Walrus, Canadian Geographic, Alberta Views, and other outlets. Monica studied ecology and evolutionary biology, then attended medical school at Memorial University.

She now works as a family doctor specializing in child and maternal health, medical humanities, and equity. She has teaching roles at the University of Calgary and Memorial University and serves as Associate Editor of Humanities at the Canadian Medical Association Journal. She divides her time between Calgary and St. John’s.

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