Joan Arakkal is an orthopaedic surgeon who grew up and trained in India, before moving to the UK where she was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. Slice Girls, published by Ventura Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster, is her first book. It is a provocative reflection on the discrimination, sexism and cartelisation entrenched in the surgical community, and particularly the world of orthopaedics
As Joan’s editor, I worked with her to shape her memoir and integrate her memories of her early years in India with her experiences in the UK and Australia. Joan is a very evocative writer who was able to conjure up both the scents of food and flowers and the visceral realities of orthopaedic surgery. Some of the material had to be handled very delicately, and we took great care when discussing contentious issues and difficult periods of her professional and personal life.
Even before its release, the Sydney Morning Herald listed Slice Girls as a title to look out for in 2019. It was a pleasure to help Joan with this very important memoir, and I’m sure it will receive all the attention it deserves.
