# Phil Whitaker

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Phil_Whitaker
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Phil_Whitaker.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Whitaker
> Source revision: 1351496934
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Phil Whitaker** (born 1966) is an English novelist, physician, and medical commentator.[1]

## Education and writings

Whitaker, born in Kent,[2] qualified in medicine at the [University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham) in 1990. He undertook postgraduate training in general practice in Oxford. He also completed an MA in creative writing at the [University of East Anglia](/source/University_of_East_Anglia) in 1996.[3]

Whitaker made his debut with the [novel](/source/Debut_novel) *[Eclipse of the Sun](/source/Eclipse_of_the_Sun_(novel))*, which received the 1997 [John Llewellyn Rhys Prize](/source/John_Llewellyn_Rhys_Prize) and the 1998 [Betty Trask Award](/source/Betty_Trask_Award), and was shortlisted for the [1997 Whitbread First Novel Award](/source/1997_Whitbread_Awards). His second novel, *[Triangulation](/source/Triangulation_(novel))*, won the 2000 [Encore Award](/source/Encore_Award).

Whitaker writes a regular medical column, and periodic essays, for the UK current affairs weekly *[New Statesman](/source/New_Statesman)*.[4] He has published influential pieces in the [British Medical Journal](https://www.bmj.com/) on the [role of the GP](https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2751) and on the future of [doctor-patient communication](https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2751). He currently lives in Wiltshire.[2]

In 2024, Whitaker was awarded Fellowship of the [Royal College of General Practitioners](https://www.rcgp.org.uk/) in recognition of his medical writing, in particular the part he has played in creating understanding about the role of the general medical practitioner among politicians, policy-makers and the general public.

## Awards

- 1997: [John Llewellyn Rhys Prize](/source/John_Llewellyn_Rhys_Prize), *Eclipse of the Sun*
- 1998: [Betty Trask Award](/source/Betty_Trask_Award), *Eclipse of the Sun*
- 2000: [Encore Award](/source/Encore_Award), *Triangulation*
- 2024: Fellowship of the [Royal College of General Practitioners](/source/Royal_College_of_General_Practitioners) (FRCGP)

## Bibliography

- *[Eclipse of the Sun](/source/Eclipse_of_the_Sun_(novel))* (1997)
- *[Triangulation](/source/Triangulation_(novel))* (1999)
- *[The Face](/source/The_Face_(Whitaker_novel))* (2002)
- *Freak of Nature* (2007)
- *Sister Sebastian's Library* (2016)
- *You* (2018)
- *Chicken Unga Fever* (2018)
- *What Is a Doctor?* (2023)

## References

1. ["Phil Whitaker"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141025025306/https://hsl.med.nyu.edu/bryant/details/378). *Bryant Collection of Physician Writers*. Archived from [the original](https://hsl.med.nyu.edu/bryant/details/378) on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.

1. [philwhitaker.co.uk](https://philwhitaker.co.uk/biography/). Retrieved 25 March 2021.

1. ["Creative Writing alumni V-Z and published works"](https://www.uea.ac.uk/literature/creative-writing/alumni/alumni-v-z). *[University of East Anglia](/source/University_of_East_Anglia)*

1. ["Phil Whitaker"](http://www.newstatesman.com/writers/phil_whitaker). *[New Statesman](/source/New_Statesman)*. Retrieved 18 October 2014.

## External links

[Official website](https://philwhitaker.co.uk/biography/)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Phil Whitaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Whitaker) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Whitaker?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.