Lambda Literary Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 7 (1995) Winner
Abraham Verghese
アブラハム・ヴェルギーズ
Abraham Verghese
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1955-05-30 （Addis Ababa, Ethiopia）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
- Residence History
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia → Kerala / Madras, India → Johnson City, Tennessee, USA → El Paso, Texas, USA → San Antonio, Texas, USA → Stanford, California, USA
Career
- Occupations
- Professor of Medicine, Author
- Active Years
- 1980-2025
- Affiliations
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Memberships
- Institute of Medicine
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madras Medical College (University of Madras) | — | — | MBBS | 1970s - 1979 | India |
| Iowa Writers' Workshop, University of Iowa | — | Creative Writing (MFA) | MFA | 1990-1991 | United States |
Madras Medical College (University of Madras)
Degree:
MBBS
Period:
1970s - 1979
Year of Graduation:
1979
Country:
India
Completed MBBS including internship
Iowa Writers' Workshop, University of Iowa
Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree:
MFA
Period:
1990-1991
Year of Graduation:
1991
Country:
United States
Studied creative writing (MFA)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Lambda Literary Award (Gay Men's Biography/Autobiography) | My Own Country | Gay Men's Biography/Autobiography | Lambda Literary | Winner |
| 2009 | Wellcome Book Prize | Cutting for Stone | フィクション（短縮） | Wellcome Trust | Shortlist |
| 2011 | Elected Member, Institute of Medicine | — | 会員選出 | Institute of Medicine | Elected |
| 2014 | Heinz Award (Arts and Humanities) | — | 芸術・人文学 | Heinz Awards | Recipient |
| 2015 | National Humanities Medal | — | — | National Endowment for the Humanities | Recipient |
| 2023 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | Fellowship |
| 2001 | Honorary Doctorate (Swarthmore College) | — | Honorary degree | Swarthmore College | Honorary doctorate |
| 2007 | Honorary Doctorate (University of Northern Illinois) | — | Honorary degree | University of Northern Illinois | Honorary doctorate |
| 2012 | Honorary Doctorate (Upstate Medical University, SUNY Syracuse) | — | Honorary degree | Upstate Medical University, SUNY Syracuse | Honorary doctorate |
| 2014 | Honorary Doctorate (Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland) | — | Honorary degree | Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland | Honorary doctorate |
| 2017 | Honorary Doctorate (McMaster University) | — | Honorary degree | McMaster University | Honorary doctorate |
| 2022 | Honorary Doctorate (College of the Holy Cross) | — | Honorary degree | College of the Holy Cross | Honorary doctorate |
| 2025 | Honorary Doctorate (Harvard University) | — | Honorary degree | Harvard University | Honorary doctorate |
Lambda Literary Award (Gay Men's Biography/Autobiography)
1995
Work:
My Own Country
Category:
Gay Men's Biography/Autobiography
Organization:
Lambda Literary
Result:
Winner
Wellcome Book Prize
2009
Work:
Cutting for Stone
Category:
フィクション（短縮）
Organization:
Wellcome Trust
Result:
Shortlist
Elected Member, Institute of Medicine
2011
Category:
会員選出
Organization:
Institute of Medicine
Result:
Elected
Heinz Award (Arts and Humanities)
2014
Category:
芸術・人文学
Organization:
Heinz Awards
Result:
Recipient
National Humanities Medal
2015
Organization:
National Endowment for the Humanities
Result:
Recipient
Guggenheim Fellowship
2023
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
Fellowship
Honorary Doctorate (Swarthmore College)
2001
Category:
Honorary degree
Organization:
Swarthmore College
Result:
Honorary doctorate
Honorary Doctorate (University of Northern Illinois)
2007
Category:
Honorary degree
Organization:
University of Northern Illinois
Result:
Honorary doctorate
Honorary Doctorate (Upstate Medical University, SUNY Syracuse)
2012
Category:
Honorary degree
Organization:
Upstate Medical University, SUNY Syracuse
Result:
Honorary doctorate
Honorary Doctorate (Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland)
2014
Category:
Honorary degree
Organization:
Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland
Result:
Honorary doctorate
Honorary Doctorate (McMaster University)
2017
Category:
Honorary degree
Organization:
McMaster University
Result:
Honorary doctorate
Honorary Doctorate (College of the Holy Cross)
2022
Category:
Honorary degree
Organization:
College of the Holy Cross
Result:
Honorary doctorate
Honorary Doctorate (Harvard University)
2025
Category:
Honorary degree
Organization:
Harvard University
Result:
Honorary doctorate
Awards & Nominations
PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
1 appearances
-
Edition 35 (2010) Nominee
Works
Major Works
My Own Country: A Doctor's Story
1994 Non-fiction / MemoirA memoir about his work as a physician in Tennessee during the early AIDS epidemic, reflecting on patients, personal transformation, and themes of displacement and diaspora.
MedicineHIV / AIDSDiasporaEmpathy
Adaptations
- [Television film] My Own Country (TV movie) / Mira Nair (1998)
The Tennis Partner: A Story of Friendship and Loss
1998 Non-fiction / MemoirA memoir about the author's friendship with a recovering physician, addressing addiction, loss, and the strains in the author's personal life.
AddictionFriendshipPhysician humanity
Cutting for Stone
2008 NovelA novel set against dramatic political change in Ethiopia, following family, medicine, loss and redemption. It was a bestseller and was optioned for film.
FamilyMedicinePolitical upheavalImmigration
Adaptations
- [Film (optioned)] Cutting for Stone (optioned film)
The Covenant of Water
2023 NovelInspired by the life of the author's mother, this multigenerational novel (1900s–1970s Kerala) follows a family haunted by mysterious deaths by drowning. Chosen for Oprah's Book Club and a bestseller.
Family historyFate and mysterySocial history of Kerala, South India
Adaptations
- [Film (optioned)] The Covenant of Water (optioned film) / Oprah Winfrey's production (rights optioned)
Abscond: A Short Story
2025 Short storyShort story forthcoming in 2025. Details not yet widely available.
Bibliography
- My Own Country: A Doctor's Story (1994)
- The Tennis Partner: A Story of Friendship and Loss (1998)
- Cutting for Stone (2008)
- The Covenant of Water (2023)
- Abscond: A Short Story (2025)
Adaptations
- My Own Country (TV movie, dir. Mira Nair)
- Cutting for Stone (optioned for film)
- The Covenant of Water (film rights optioned by Oprah)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Detailed, observational prose drawing on clinical experienceNarrative focus on human drama
- Recurring Motifs
- Patient–doctor relationshipLoss and redemptionDiaspora and immigrationWater (motif in The Covenant of Water)
Legacy
Verghese has bridged medicine and literature, advocating for bedside medicine and empathy in clinical practice. His writings have advanced medical humanities and influenced education and public discourse.
Academic Societies
- Institute of Medicine
In Popular Culture
- Selected for Oprah's Book Club (The Covenant of Water)
- Film and television options for his works (e.g., My Own Country)
Quotes
-
“Imagining the patient's experience.”
Source: Author statement / Stanford lectures
Trivia
- Co-host of the Medscape podcast "Medicine and the Machine."
- The Covenant of Water was selected for Oprah's Book Club and its film rights were optioned by Oprah.
- Founder of the Stanford 25 initiative and the Presence program promoting bedside medicine.