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Short stories 2020
$30
In a diverse community in South Auckland, a Serbian refugee struggles with post-natal depression, a Vietnamese boy with a deformed hand is asked to interpret for his grandmother and becomes burdened with a tragic secret, and a doctor becomes reluctantly entangled with a menacing but injured gang leader. Tension within families hovers over many of these gritty stories, but power often proves to be in the hands of those who at first appear weak.
Caring for this community, an idealistic young doctor, her increasingly jaded boss and their astute nurse are compassionate but flawed.
The medical centre provides a hub to these loosely inter-connected stories, the scope of which pans across a slew of people living and dying with disability, social isolation, humour, conflict, hope and uncertainty.
Poems 2022
$25
Don’t knock technology you precious Boomer
with stents to hold your options open
pacemakers to keep you up with the beat
lenses to enhance your critical eye
and aids to stop the youngsters mumbling
there’s mesh to hold in your sags and bulges
titanium screws for your shattered dreams
… so don’t give us all that natural bullshit
carry with pride the shrapnel of the age.
These are warm and accessible reflective poems.
Their scope ranges from doctor and patient perspectives on health, close observation of people and relationships and the natural world, to philosophical asides on social responsibility, time and transition.
In this collection, poetic forms playfully traverse haiku and compact vignettes, sonnet, villanelle and lyric free verse.
Memoir 2025
$35
A young Kiwi doctor decides to live and work for three years in a remote region of Nepal, taking his wife and two young children, with a third child born in Kathmandu shortly after arrival. There, he learns to do the best he can when confronted with unfamiliar medical conditions. Adapting to local life includes unexpected moments such as passing the children through the window of a crowded bus into the arms of friendly strangers, and riding on the bus roof.
Back in New Zealand there are many challenges to being a GP in multicultural South Auckland, from home births to dramatic house calls to end-of-life care. Some poor judgements are blamed on inexperience, yet the potential for error remains a haunting presence throughout his career.
In this scrapbook of memories, Greg Judkins reflects on a life of challenge and adventure, and the hazards and mistakes that are an inescapable part of personal and professional life.