Hilton Koppe is a writer, teacher, workshop facilitator, podcaster and doctor living on Bundjalung land on the east coast of Australia.
Hilton facilitates reflective writing workshops for doctors and other health professionals with the goal of deepening their compassion, overcoming professional isolation and reducing risk of burnout. The workshops have been adapted for people living with chronic and mental illnesses, as well as enthusiastic amateur writers. Hilton has been invited to present his workshops all the way from Byron Writers Festival to Harvard Medical School.
Hilton’s memoir, One Curious Doctor, explores the personal impact of working as a country doctor. His play, Enduring Witness, is used to facilitate conversations about end-of-life care. Hilton is co-host of Dementia In Practice, a top 100 Great Australian Pod.
In 2015, Hilton fulfilled his life time ambition to play football (soccer) for Australia when he made his debut for the Master Docceroos (Australia’s over-45 doctors' football team) at the annual World Medical Football Championships.
He may well be the oldest and least skilful player to ever represent Australia!
Listen here to Hilton being interviewed on ABC Conversations by Sarah Kanowski as he talks about his life growing up on the leafy north shore of Sydney, becoming a country doctor, and finally needing to give up clinical practice because of PTSD. Hilton also tells the story of how he became an international footballer.
Listen here as Hilton is interviewed on James and Ashley Stay at Home podcast about his journey which lead to the writing of One Curious Doctor.
Watch here as Hilton speaks about how a country GP with no experience as a writer came to be running writing workshops around the world.
Watch here as (a very young looking)Hilton talks about a workshop done for Our Kids at Lismore Base Hospital.
Hilton is an inspirational educator. He has a remarkable capacity to take those he teaches into surprising and revelatory places. The learner can expect to emerge a changed person. Hilton does this in a way that enables the journeyer to feel safe, accompanied by a wise guide who cares for them.