David Whittet
David Whittet is a family doctor, a multi-award-winning independent filmmaker and an avid writer.
‘Storytelling has been in my DNA since childhood. I have vivid memories of watching Sunday teatime serials on television as an impressionable youngster. A dramatisation of Oliver Twist had a profound impact on me. In its day, Dickens’ novel brought reform to the poor law. This convinced me of the potential of the written word to change the world, and I decided then that I wanted to be a writer. Subsequently, the novels of A J Cronin, especially The Citadel—which pre-empted the foundation of the National Health Service in the UK and beyond—inspired me to become a doctor. Medicine is a constant source of inspiration for my writing. General practice, in particular, is about being interested in people’s stories—they go hand in hand. The colourful cast of characters I have met throughout my career—colleagues and patients alike—breathe life into my writing.’
Genre:
- Adult Fiction
Skills:
- Novelist
- Screenwriting
- Website Content
Branch:
Otago/Southland
Location:
North Otago
Publications:
Gang Girl
The Gang stole her childhood. She won’t let them claim the rest of her life.
New Zealand, 1970. Born into the gang, Alicia longs to escape the misery of her childhood. The daughter of a notorious gang leader, her dream of freedom falls apart when she’s pledged in blood to her cousin Mickey.
Happiness seems further away than ever once Mickey grows into a ruthless gangster—until a chance meeting with a hotshot business executive promises Alicia a new life away from the gang.
Immediate reprisals plunge Alicia into a deadly war. Shot down at her wedding ceremony and fighting for her life, she despairs that Mickey will ever let go.
Can Alicia break free from her brutal past, or is she destined for a legacy of bloodshed? The only person Alicia can turn to is a Māori diviner … who has a message she doesn’t want to hear.
David Whittet’s gripping story of love, betrayal and redemption is set on New Zealand’s spectacular West Coast. Gang Girl will capture the hearts of readers who love books featuring strong women determined to take charge of their own destiny.
The Road to Madhapur
You will never make a doctor. The professor’s harsh words threaten to end Theo Malone’s medical career before he sees his first patient. The idealistic Kiwi is determined to prove the professor wrong—until the death of a child from meningitis during a student assignment in Uganda shatters his confidence.
Australian teenager Elisha is furious when her missionary father announces he’s taking the entire family on his next campaign in India. Anger turns to despair after her mother dies from AIDS following a needlestick injury at a local Indian hospital.
Qualified at last, Theo’s in trouble for trying to take vital medicines into a developing country. Disillusioned, he leaves New Zealand for voluntary work overseas. By chance, the medical agency sends him to India. His feet scarcely touch the ground in Madhapur before his life-saving drugs rescue an Indian girl Elisha has befriended.
Opposition to western medicine and growing political tension threaten Theo’s determination to make a difference in this impoverished community. His forthright approach creates enemies. Will his immunisation campaign force a backlash from the authorities? Can his love for Elisha survive an unspeakable tragedy following a brutal mob attack?
Written by a family doctor, David Whittet’s heart-wrenching novel will captivate lovers of true-to-life medical stories. From rural New Zealand to the plains of India, The Road to Madhapur takes readers on an unforgettable journey through love and grief to redemption and fulfilment.