THE GREAT DEAD BODY TEACHERS

An adventure into the world of anatomy and human dissection. A book like no other.

My book is the story of my paternal grandparents — Ruby and Julie — whole body donation to a university when they died. No one in my family seemed to know why they did it or what really happened. Were they avid science buffs? Was it to save on cremation costs? Did their bone parts end up museums?

In The Great Dead Body Teachers, I slowly stitch together an understanding of the human dissection process, interspersing profiles of the intriguing people who make up this world – anatomists, doctors, technicians, forensic scientists, anatomical artists, embalmers and whole body donors – with my own research.

I wander in all sorts of directions. I delve into the ethics of whole body donation, the ongoing use of unclaimed bodies throughout the world, the ways the dead are used in forensic science and criminal science investigation and the incredible history of anatomy and human dissection.

I roam from anatomical lab to forensic science facility to museum, examining the role of 14th century Italian nuns, Indian communists and Andreas Vesalius along the way. Why does brain anatomy cast a spell over scientists? Why are some anatomists so into bone anatomy while others are drawn to the feet or skull structure?

Part adventure, part detective story, The Great Dead Body Teachers is a dive into anatomy, a science that helped form the foundation of modern medicine. Weaving the personal with the history of this science, I explore the world of human dissection — all the while looking for answers as to what happened to my grandparents.

Long listed for the NIB Literary Award

Long listed for the Walkley Book Award