Fear and hope, grief and comfort, loneliness and community - the beautiful and dark moments of life always go hand in hand in medicine. The confrontation with illness and death has long occupied not only medicine but also literature. It is therefore no surprise that many doctors have put to paper the intense experiences that their profession brings day after day. Curated by Florian Steger, the texts gathered here provide insight into the experiences of patients, relatives, doctors, and caregivers. This diverse anthology includes poems and excerpts from plays and novels by international writers from the 16th to the 21st century. Well-known authors such as Alfred Döblin, Anton Chekhov, Georg Büchner, and Michael Bulgakov are included.