‘The Midnight Man’ is published and out in the wild. I’ve had an amazing week following its publication, with some tremendous reviews. My interview with Crime Time presenter Paul Burke was great fun, although recorded earlier (you can listen to it on the link below) and I’m doing more, with UK Crime Book Club on the 17th and Riverside Radio Arts on 24th May. In between there are book 
clubs and libraries to visit where I’ll be talking about ‘The Midnight Man’ and the South London Hospital for Women and Children. Tomorrow I’m off to the Royal College of Nursing for the launch of their Summer exhibition and programme of events ‘Shining a Light’.
The RCN isn’t the only medical institution to be interested, the UK Association for the History of Nursing has asked for a copy and ‘The Midnight Man’ will feature in their journal and possibly on their website. The Fawcett Society has shown an interest and the Historic Novel Society is carrying a review. So lots of interest.
In the meanwhile I’ve been to see ‘Nye’ the new play by Tim Price, based on the life of Aneurin Bevan,
‘founder’ of the National Health Service. Bevan, played by Michael Sheen, was Minister for Health in the Attlee government and the driving force behind the creation of the NHS, although he had to make compromises to force it through. I was pleased to see that the play represented the opposition of the some of the medical unions, something which is also referred to in ‘The Midnight Man’. We treasure the NHS now ( or should do, though I appreciate that many years of underfunding and ‘reorganisations’ has meant long delays and some deficiencies ) but, at the time it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that it would be set up, let alone survive. Yet, as the post curtain call stats shone on to the back of the stage show, it has saved many lives and alleviated much suffering, which 
would not have been the case had it not existed.
The play also seeks to show the pain, anguish and anger caused when medicine is not available, because of the inability to pay for care, something I tried to do in ‘Midnight Man’ through the character of Phoebe. Tuberculosis was a killer disease, for which there was no cure, and which reached pandemic proportions at different times in its history. It was also highly contagious and sufferers were isolated, with their loved ones made to keep a distance from them (not unlike COVID).
I can certainly recommend the play and it is a remarkable performance by Sheen, with Sharon Small as Jennie Lee. It’s not the only recent West End play which features the period immediately post-war. Lucy Kirkwood’s ‘The Human Body’ starring Keeley Hawes and Jack Whitehall was at the Donmar until the end of last month, about post-war female emancipation and the NHS. Must be something in the zeitgeist.
I speak about some of this in the interview with Paul. If you’re interested you can hear that here.
Julie Anderson 