Plagiarism psychiatrist shrinks from book festival appearance

Published on Saturday 12 July 2008 19:43

A CONTROVERSIAL TV doctor has shelved his planned appearances at Scotland's biggest literary festival.

Celebrity psychiatrist Raj Persaud had been scheduled to give a series of talks at the Edinburgh International Book Festival next month.

But the organisers have confirmed that the author and broadcaster will now not be appearing.

Persaud, a 45-year-old consultant psychiatrist for the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, who shot to fame on This Morning with Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, has been suspended from practising medicine for plagiarising the work of other academics.

The NHS professional was billed in the Festival programme as: "The leading psychiatrist who understands our most hidden motives.

"Some of the most enthralling sessions at the Book Festival are those of Dr Raj Persaud – eminent psychiatrist, prolific broadcaster and bestselling author."

The official website now says: "Raj Persaud can no longer appear at the Book Festival."

Persaud was also expected to preview his forthcoming book, Charm Offensive, and was scheduled to quiz former Cabinet minister Lord David Owen on his new book, The Hubris Syndrome, a task now taken on by journalist Magnus Linklater.

Festival organisers had been under pressure to withdraw Persaud's invitation, but a spokeswoman stressed that the he had chosen to cancel his appearance.

"Given the Society of Authors is a sponsor of the Book Festival, the idea of having a plagiarist giving events was an outrageous slap in the face to all the other authors," Scotland on Sunday literary editor Stuart Kelly said.

Last month the General Medical Council's (GMC) fitness-to-practise panel ruled that Persaud had brought his profession into disrepute.

He admitted passing off other scholars' work in his book, From The Edge Of The Couch, and other published work.

Professor Richard Bentall of Bangor University told the GMC that a research paper he co-wrote appeared to have been "cut and pasted" into the book. The panel suspended Persaud for three months, noting that there had been no patient harm, that his plagiarism was not financially motivated and was unlikely to be repeated.

At the time Persaud said: "I accept that my use of the work of some authors lacked adequate acknowledgements and I apologise."

Persaud was unavailable for comment last night.