Adam Kay

Adam Kay was born on June 12, 1980, in Brighton, England. Raised in a Jewish household, he initially pursued a career in medicine, influenced by his father, also a doctor. Kay attended Dulwich College from which he graduated in 1997, and then Imperial College London, earning a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree in 2004. During his medical school years, he began performing in medical school shows in 1998 and founded the musical comedy group Amateur Transplants, also writing for BBC Radio 4. He worked as an obstetrician and gynaecologist between 2004 and 2010. His medical career concluded after a traumatic incident involving a patient’s caesarean section and a stillborn baby, which led to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, prompting him to leave the profession.

Following his medical career, Kay transitioned into writing and comedy. His first book, “This Is Going to Hurt,” published by Picador in September 2017, was based on his diaries from his time as a junior doctor. The book quickly became a Sunday Times bestseller, holding the number one position for over a year and selling more than 2.5 million copies. It received numerous accolades, including Book of the Year at the UK’s National Book Awards in 2018, Non-Fiction Book of the Year, New Writer of the Year, and Book Club Book of the Year. The book was critically acclaimed by publications such as The Times, Financial Times, and The Guardian, and has been translated into 28 languages, achieving international number-one status. In 2018, the BBC announced an adaptation of “This Is Going to Hurt” into a seven-part comedy-drama, which aired in 2022, with Kay serving as a co-executive producer and receiving a BAFTA for his writing.

Kay’s career expanded further into television writing and children’s literature. He co-created and wrote the 2015 BBC Three sitcom “Crims,” and contributed as a writer and script editor for various television shows including “Mrs. Brown’s Boys” and “Mitchell and Webb.” His second book, “Twas the Nightshift before Christmas,” was released in 2019. In 2020, he edited “Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You,” a collection of personal stories with contributions from notable figures, with profits supporting NHS Charities Together and The Lullaby Trust. He has also authored several successful children’s books, often in collaboration with Henry Paker, including “Kay’s Anatomy,” “Kay’s Marvellous Medicine,” and “Dexter Procter the 10-Year-Old Doctor.” His memoir, “Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients,” was published in 2022. Kay has also maintained a successful performing career, selling out shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and embarking on nationwide UK tours.