Hodder Press snaps up new book from Wellcome Prize-winning neurologist O'Sullivan

Hodder Press has snapped up a new book from Wellcome Prize-winning neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan on medical diagnosis.

Executive publisher Kirty Topiwala acquired world all-language rights for The Age of Diagnosis from Kirsty McLachlan at Morgan Green Creatives in an exclusive submission. It will publish in 2025 as one of the flagship titles on the new imprint.

The publisher said: “We live in an age of diagnosis. The advance of sophisticated genetic sequencing techniques means that we may all soon be screened for potential abnormalities. The internet provides a vast array of information that helps us speculate about our symptoms. Conditions such as ADHD and autism are on the rapid rise, while other new categories such as Long Covid have recently emerged.

“When we are suffering, it is natural to seek a diagnosis. We want a clear label, understanding and, of course, treatment. But is diagnosis an unqualified good thing? Could it even make us worse instead of better? Through the stories of real people, neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan will compare the impact of a medical label to the pain of not knowing. With scientific authority and compassionate storytelling, she will shed new light on the idea of diagnosis and open up new possibilities for how we might approach our health and our suffering.”

O’Sullivan said: “Medical diagnosis is a growing beast whose good and bad sides are a constant preoccupation of mine. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to think about them more deeply with the wonderful team at Hodder. I have long admired Kirty and so it is an honour to have the chance to collaborate with her.”

Topiwala added: “Suzanne is truly among the most talented medical writers around today. I am a longtime fan of her work and so it is a real thrill to be publishing this incredibly timely book with her. I know she will bring her razor-sharp insight alongside sensitive nuance to this important subject.”

O’Sullivan has been a consultant in neurology since 2004, first working at The Royal London Hospital and now as a consultant in clinical neurophysiology and neurology at The National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, and for a specialist unit based at the Epilepsy Society. She specialises in the investigation of complex epilepsy and also has an active interest in psychogenic disorders. Her first book, It’s All in Your Head (Chatto & Windus), won both the Wellcome Book Prize and the Royal Society of Biology Book Prize and The Sleeping Beauties (Picador) was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize.