Intelligence Squared presents:
WOMEN’S PRIZE-WINNER RACHEL CLARKE
In conversation with Rob Delaney
Dr Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor and author, who became widely known for her writing from the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her book, The Story of a Heart – which was awarded the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction – is the profoundly moving account of a heart transplant, and how one child saved the life of another.
On November 13, Clarke will join actor, comedian and writer Rob Delaney to talk about this unforgettable story. Join them as they discuss the immense courage of the two families involved, the dedication and compassion of the doctors, nurses and scientists who made it possible, and the incredible innovations that led to the modern miracle of a heart transplant.
Dates
13 Nov 2025Praise for The Story of A Heart
When awarding Clarke the Women’s Prize, Chair of the judges Kavita Puri described the book as “authoritative, beautiful and compassionate.” She added, “This is a book where humanity shines through on every page, from the selfless act of the parents who gift their daughter’s heart in the depths of despair, to the dedication of the NHS workers.”
Biographies
Rachel Clarke
Speaker | Palliative care doctor, author and broadcaster
Dr Rachel Clarke is a practising palliative care doctor, former television journalist and the author of four Sunday Times bestselling books including The Story of a Heart (winner of the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction), Dear Life and Breathtaking (adapted into a major television series and nominated for a Royal Television Society Award).
Rob Delaney
Interviewer | Actor, writer and comedian
Rob Delaney is an American actor, comedian, and author who has appeared in Black Mirror, Deadpool and Wolverine and Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. He is the co-creator and co-star of the Channel 4 comedy Catastrophe. He has also written two memoirs. His second book A Heart That Works, an account of the loss of his young son Henry, was widely acclaimed and became a New York Times Bestseller.