CECIL HELMAN 1944-2009

FLOUR
"A man made of flour writes his biography. It's about his inner life, but also about his outer form. How he was once bread, then became biscuits, then occasionally cake. It tells of his days as a tart, his years living abroad as a baguette. It's the story of who baked him, who ate him, who spat him out. Which ones mixed him with butter and milk, which ones sweetened him with sugar. It's a tale of burnt toast, but also one of marmalade." CECIL HELMAN


"Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Cecil Helman qualified as a medical doctor before moving to London to study social anthropology. Over the years, he has managed to combine his writing career with 27 years as a family doctor for the National Health Service and academic posts in London and abroad. He is a recognised expert on medical anthropology, specialising in the cross-cultural issues involved in illness and medical (and other forms of health-) care. He writes fiction, non-fiction, prose poetry, essays and academic texts."