The Art of Dying Well

Send us a textThe world is aging rapidly. People are living longer. Everyone wants their death to be calm, peaceful and reconciled - ideally at home, and in the presence of family and loved ones. End of life care, and in particular, specialised palliative care, is increasingly important and can radically enhance quality of life for both patients and their families. But how can you explain the merits of this compassionate care when in some countries, the sheer mention of the D-word is so taboo it can be interpreted as wishing ill on the very person you want to help?This is the case in parts of East and South East Asia. Many countries have reached, or will soon reach, super-aged status. That is the UN definition for a country where over 20% of its population is aged 65 or older. Singapore is projected to become a super-aged society in 2026, so extolling the virtues of palliative care in a culture that would, perhaps, rather not have the conversation about death and dying is a significant challenge. For this Art of Dying Well podcast, we speak to Dr Su Lin YEO, an Associate Professor of Communication Management at Singapore Management University. Professor Yeo has conducted ground-breaking research on palliative care communication in Singapore. We have a fascinating discussion about how cultural taboos in Asian societies about death and dying can make for difficult end-of-life conversations. We talk about how Professor Yeo's research has provided valuable insights that have improved communication strategies on this tricky subject.We also investigate how knowledge, attitude, and receptiveness can inform public health communication and advance the understanding of palliative care in Singapore.

Send us a textUnderstanding the shock, pain, and anxiety that comes after a terminal diagnosis is often best articulated through first-person stories. For the first Art of Dying Well podcast of 2025, we're speaking to Matt Parkes about how he cared for his dad, Jeff, at the end of his life.Jeff became aware something was seriously wrong health-wise in 2011. Something had changed. Something felt different. He had a number of episodes where he would lose his balance, and eventually he was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare brain condition that causes problems with movement, vision, speech, and swallowing.Not wanting to 'diminish', Jeff decided he wanted to end his life and was initially actively suicidal. Matt, a Catholic, managed to steer him away from that course of action - with his wife's loving help - and spent many years as Jeff's primary carer.This was obviously a very difficult time, but in those final years, there were remarkable, poignant moments of love and reconciliation that never would have experienced had he followed his initial desire to end his life.

Send us a textSince the dawn of time, people have been asking those huge existential questions: What comes next? What happens to us after we die? These questions have preoccupied artists, writers, thinkers, medics, teachers, religious leaders – pretty much all of us at one time or another. Art and the Afterlife was an event held at The Exchange, a theatre in Twickenham run by St Mary's University. It was part of an ongoing project exploring the many ways people understand and reflect on death and the afterlife with a view to improving our shared literacy around death - particularly in end-of-life contexts.This 20-minute podcast was recorded just before the three panelists stepped out on stage. We spoke to ebullient art historian Lynne Hanley, former Sotheby's auctioneer and founder of the brilliant christian.art website, Father Patrick van der Vorst, and the knowledgeable, and ever-wise Baroness Sheila Hollins who, as well as discussing her series of marvellous word-free picture books, also shared her granddaughter's award-winning and poignant artwork that looks through Mary's eyes as she mourns Jesus on the cross.

Send us a textWith parents, grandparents, and guardians all getting into the flow of the dreaded autumnal 'back to school' routine, it seemed appropriate for us to revisit a topic we first looked at back in September 2021 - bereavement in education.Earlier this year, St Mary's University and The Art of Living and Dying Well (note our new name) held a summit to gather experts from across the sector to examine how death literacy can be improved in our schools and colleges, and how policies and training can be shaped to ensure that knowledge and visibility of a young person's grief lies at the heart of our response. For this 'Art of Dying Well' podcast, we want to build on the conversations started at the summit. You'll hear four important voices – a primary school teacher, a director of Initial Teacher Training at a university in the east of England, and two young pupils who suffered a bereavement early in their lives.With thanks to:Daniel and Matthew, primary school teacher Paige McCarthy, and Jenny Fogarty, Director of Initial Teacher Training at Anglia Ruskin University.

Hospices - places you go to die, right? Horizontal in a bed for the last months of your life? Decades ago, perhaps, but the modern hospice offers a wide variety of services - all designed to provide high quality, compassionate care for the dying person.In fact, around 50% of people that use the facilities and treatments go home at the end of the day. It's time to challenge the stereotypes, bust the myths and go behind the scenes to find out just how hospices work and how they are the jewel in the crown when it comes to end of life care. For this special episode of the Art of Dying Well podcast, we visit a truly remarkable place - St Joseph's Hospice in Hackney, East London. Most people want their death – or that of a loved one or friend – to be comfortable and reconciled. A dignified death. At St Joseph's Hospice the dying person always comes first so why not listen to find out more?

On this episode of the Art of Dying Well podcast, we're breaking the taboo around end of life planning.Host James Abbott sits down with Matthew Hutton, the author of a very useful book called Your Last Gift - an accessible guide to getting your affairs in order.Matthew Hutton is a man who wears many professional hats – lawyer, one intimately acquainted with drawing up Wills and administering probate; tax adviser; estate planning expert; farmer (!) and Church of England minister.He shares his wisdom on topics such as the importance of having a Will, and setting up lasting powers of attorney, as well as examining the emotional and philosophical dimensions of confronting mortality, leaving a legacy, and finding meaning in the face of death.Through their conversation, Abbott and Hutton aim to break the taboo surrounding end of life planning and encourage listeners to take proactive steps in preparing for the inevitable - ultimately providing peace of mind for themselves and their loved ones.

The first Art of Dying Well podcast of 2024 looks at coma recovery, second chances and spiritual awakening.James Macintyre, a freelance journalist and biographer, describes his extraordinary near-death experience giving a first-hand account of the life-threatening pancreatitis he endured in May 2023 that led to a five-week coma and four-month hospitalisation.James was admitted to the intensive care unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in a critical condition. Doctors informed him that he was suffering from severe pancreatitis that could be fatal. After a difficult week involving blunt conversations with medical staff about the possibility of dying, he was placed in a medically-induced coma to aid his breathing and survival.Whilst in a coma,  James nearly died when doctors performed emergency tracheostomy surgery. Thankfully he pulled through, but awoke to the devastating news that his mother had died while he was unconscious.James credits his survival and new outlook to the excellent hospital care he received as well as his Christian faith. He now hopes to impart lessons about valuing each day, having an attitude of gratitude, and centering one's life on eternity, rather than worldly pursuits.

Traditionally November is the month for remembering; for remembrance services; the lighting of candles; special prayers and the blessing of graves.In this special episode of the podcast, made in partnership with the Catholic Church in England and Wales, we offer an opportunity for reflection and remembrance in the company of Father George Bowen as he takes us on a tour of the beautiful London Oratory.And on Remembrance Sunday itself we pause to reflect on the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. Not only do we stop to remember our dead, but to hope and pray for peace in the world today.

In part two of our special episode in support of Baby Loss Awareness Week in the UK, our host James Abbott speaks to two wonderful people who took their own trauma and grief and did an incredible thing with it. They founded a charity to help people in the same painful position they were in – a position nobody wants to find themselves in - facing the death of a baby.Jo and David Ward went through the tragedy of the death of their daughter, Abigail, who was stillborn at 41 weeks, and they're here to share their story with us now and to talk about their marvellous charity Abigail's Footsteps set up in memory of Abigail.With still births and neonatal deaths standing at around 14 a day in England and Wales – sadly one of the highest rates in the developed world - the work of the charity has never been more important.

There can be few things more devastating than the death of a child. This incredibly emotive and difficult subject is the focus of this episode, which takes the form of two testimony-based podcasts. In part one we hear from Saskia Hogbin who tragically lost her baby, Josef, 28 weeks into her pregnancy. We are releasing this episode in Baby Loss Awareness Week in the UK (9th-15th October). Now in its 21st year, the week is an opportunity for everyone in the baby loss community and beyond to come together to remember and commemorate much-loved and missed babies.More than one in five pregnancies end in miscarriage, that's around a quarter of a million in the UK each year, and although most occur in the first three months, they can happen much later. When you lose a baby late in pregnancy the grief and pain is visited on everyone and the loss is acute, but there can be shards of light in the darkness. 

This episode has the rather provocative title Listen to me, I'm dying! But what do we mean by that? Find out as host James Abbott discusses with our guests how much of a say do we really have over what happens when we die? Will our wishes be respected? And what about those emergency situations in case we change our minds over what happens next? Just like birthing plans at the start of life, shouldn't we all have a plan for how we exit this world so we can be as reconciled and at peace as possible? Alongside this we'll consider an interesting piece of research carried out in partnership with The Centre for the Art of Dying Well, to examine the impact of the digital world on death and grief. We're delighted to be joined by Professor Julia Riley, who spoke so eloquently on the subject of Diagnosing Dying in episode 25. Julia is a consultant in Palliative Medicine at the Royal Marsden and Royal Brompton NHS Trusts and a Visiting Professor at Imperial College London. She founded the initiative Coordinate My Care with the aim of providing patients with integrated, coordinated and quality care they would prefer, particularly at the end of life. And making his first appearance on the podcast is Dr Shaun Qureshi, a specialist in palliative medicine, who's been researching the medicalisation of dying and grief, in among other things, the post digital age. 

This episode of the Art of Dying Well podcast sees us ponder one of those huge existential questions – a question that has surely preoccupied every single one of us at some point... What comes next? What is on the other side after we die?  So our theme, today, is very much the concept of eternity.  Followers of the world's major faiths clearly have a view on the afterlife so whether our focus is the preparation to meet our maker or attaining a higher level of peace, this hour-long podcast is dedicated to finding out more. Recently, the Centre for the Art of Dying Well hosted an interfaith event in Birmingham exploring whether a clear understanding of eternity can help us to live well in the here and now. The speakers were all members of the Birmingham Faith Leaders Group – a network established in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York – demonstrating, perhaps, that we are stronger when we work together, and in sharing our similarities we can also learn from our differences.And it's the Birmingham Faith Leaders Group that provides the three guests we're speaking to today. We start with the Catholic teaching on the subject courtesy of Archbishop Bernard Longley, the Archbishop of Birmingham, then we learn about the concept of eternity from an Islamic perspective from Imam Mohammed Asad, Lead Iman at Birmingham Central Mosque before rounding things off with an interesting discussion with Simon Romer, a Buddhist teacher who follows the Tibetan School of Buddhism.

In this episode we speak to Dr Leanne Griffiths, the Dean of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Science at St Mary's University, Twickenham, and founder of Sophie's Stars, a charity dedicated to supporting family and loved ones of people diagnosed with cancer. Leanne has a very personal story to share with us which is bound up together in her role as the founder of Sophie's Stars and her work at the University, as it prepares to launch its new living well service. At the Centre for the Art of Dying Well we strongly believe in living well throughout our lives in order to prepare to die well, so we are particularly interested in this new initiative.Leanne started at St Mary's as a Senior Lecturer in Sport Rehabilitation in 2011. She qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2008, completing a PhD in 2016. Her PhD investigated the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle adaptation in stroke patients. Meanwhile in her personal life Leanne was coping with the sudden illness and subsequent death of her sister Sophie, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer aged 24, dying just months later in 2017. Leanne says: “I've never really known where to tell my story, or where I could share my feelings and have my voice heard, because I have not been through cancer. That is why I set up Sophie's Stars.”

In this Art of Dying Well podcast, we're dipping into our audio archives to celebrate the ground we've covered in nearly five years of broadcasting. When we started the podcast, one of our main aims was to make living and dying well something we're all much more comfortable talking about. Over the course of more than 30 episodes, we've discussed all manner of things…Bereavement and grief, deathbed etiquette, palliative care, remembrance, the role of end of life companions, the death of a beloved pet, traumatic loss, the importance of listening well, lone deaths, the role of art in living and dying well, men and grief, child bereavement, examining how the digital world has changed how we talk about death, and, most recently, the philosophy of life and death.So wherever you are on the journey, I hope we've given you a little accompaniment and consolation over the years. We'll be back early in 2023.

What does it mean to live well and what impact can this have on our death? Can living well really help us achieve a so-called good death?These issues have preoccupied great minds throughout the ages, including Aristotle and Plato, beginning with the idea that living well, the good life, consists of happiness. However, in philosophical terms, happiness can be seen as less of a goal or an end state, but a manner of living; a subjective feeling.In this special episode of the Art of Dying Well podcast we take a deep dive into the philosophy of these existential issues with Dr Christopher Hamilton, author and Reader in Philosophy at King's College London.Christopher has written several books including Middle Age (The Art of Life), which examines how we cope with the potential of diminishment and reconciling ourselves to the one life that we are living. He also shares his personal experience of coming to terms with a profoundly life-changing event, and learning to live with not having all the answers. And also, can we ask different questions about our life by thinking more constructively?

Most of us would rather not be alone at the end of life, which is why so many organisations, charities and faith groups are coming together to find a solution. There are a number of very effective community groups, relying primarily on volunteers, that offer a valuable service befriending and walking with people approaching the end of their lives. Our first guest on this 'Art of Dying Well' podcast is Patrick Dollard of Compassionate Neighbours - a community project that started at St Joseph's Hospice in Hackney, east London. We then engage in a little 'Death Chatter' with Razna Al Faradhi from Eden Care - an organisation that pairs befrienders with those nearing the end of life offering support with their personal, social and spiritual needs.Finally, the 'Voice from the Bedside Chair' comes from friend-of-the-show Dr Lynn Bassett. Lynn, from our end of life companionship project in partnership with the St Vincent de Paul Society, talks to us about an exciting one-day conference we're holding in-person and online at St Mary's University, Twickenham on Thursday, 22 September. 

As we embrace the Spring sunshine here in the UK we're looking forward to spending more time outside, meeting up with friends and loved ones, and generally enjoying the warmer weather. Living well entails noticing when life is good and practicing gratitude. We recognise that being in a good place emotionally and physically – in essence living well - is also an intrinsic part of dying well.This podcast explores living well and companionship at the end of life. First we'll look at art and living well, and how creativity can enhance our lives even as we move towards death. We also explore end of life companionship and how community and support can help us all to be in a good place at the end of life.We're joined by ‘friend of the show' and returning guest, the marvellous Lynne Hanley. Lynne is an art expert and founder of Beyond the Palette art tours. Packed with personality, she has been described as a ‘sassy raconteuse' with a wonderful insight into paintings. With her help we'll look at some great art as well as exploring the visual narrative of the original art of dying well- the Ars Moriendi.'The Voice from the Bedside Chair' comes from Alejandra Fong, of the St Vincent De Paul Society. Alejandra heads up their End of Life Companionship Project, an important initiative training volunteers to become end of life companions. She enthusiastically describes the huge difference the project is making.

Well, we're emerging into the light from the pandemic – much as it has not fully gone away - and we're socialising and speaking to each other more. But how are our conversational skills? A bit rusty maybe? Conversing well requires a good listening ear and the ability to make good judgment calls before opening our mouths.This podcast looks at how we break bad news, console people, explore feelings and emotions, and everything that's involved in having those meaningful conversations in the face of challenging circumstances.Our two contributors are returning guests with thousands of hours of experience of listening and talking at the bedside.Dr Kathryn Mannix is a palliative care specialist who has followed up the best-selling 'With the End in Mind' with a book covering this very subject: 'Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations'.'The Voice from the Bedside Chair' comes from our resident poet Audrey Ardern-Jones, a former senior nurse at the Royal Marsden Hospital and a talented writer who has kindly penned a poem especially for this podcast: 'Listening Before Leaving' dedicated to those who are dying and those who care for them.

We've all heard the stereotypes... men aren't good with their emotions. Men don't talk about things close to their hearts. It's all 'stiff upper lip' and 'show must go on'. So what happens when a man's dying? Or suffers a bereavement?What's visible on the outside doesn't always reflect what's going on inside. When a loved-one dies, people rally around, offer their support and try to find some helpful words. It may be a generalisation but men don't find these things particularly easy to deal with.That's what we're exploring on this 'Art of Dying Well' podcast.To do this, we have three excellent guests who speak openly and honestly about their experiences. Firstly we hear from Colin Brazier, a senior foreign correspondent and news anchor with three decades of experience covering stories for Sky and in recent times GBNews. Colin's beloved wife Jo died in July 2018 having been given a terminal prognosis for her third-stage breast cancer earlier in the year. Friend and fellow news anchor Julie Etchingham guides us through a fascinating and moving interview. Podcaster Chris Reeve from the popular Talk Norwich City fan channel joins us for a little 'Death Chatter' and, I'm not going to lie, I shed a few tears. Chris speaks passionately about death and grief, candidly sharing his experiences dealing with the tragedy of his mum's death back in 2014 when he was just 14-years-old. Chris says grief is "the petrol in my fire every single day". Simultaneously uplifting and useful, this 'Death Chatter' is a must-listen.We finish with the 'Voice from the Bedside Chair' and it's another reach-for-the-tissues interview. Professor Jim McManus, Director of Public Health for Hertfordshire County Council (and newly-elected President of the Association of Directors of Public Health) has sat by many bedsides over the years and gives us an absorbing reflection on how he sees men dealing with death and grief. Not only this, he shares very openly his experience of surviving cancer.Plenty of wisdom and advice on this 'Art of Dying Well' podcast.

It has been a very strange 18 months for young people – not just at home but in our schools too. The pandemic has reminded us all of the nearness of death and how we as a society look after ourselves and each other. How often do we hear the wisdom "children are resilient"? But coping with death and dying as a young person is not easy - especially the first time they experience the death of a loved one or friend. How does this play out in the classroom? How can our teachers equip themselves to best support their pupils going through such a trauma? That's the focus of today's podcast.

We're tackling a very difficult subject on this 'Art of Dying Well' podcast. What happens when you get the news that nobody wants? How do you cope with a diagnosis that changes everything? We're looking at how we can listen to, accompany and support a loved one who has received a terminal diagnosis. It's a traumatic time for everyone but it can be a time for taking control, setting goals and making sure you're able to make the most of that often short but very precious time towards the end.Our two guests have walked alongside and cared for so many people and their families as they've journeyed towards death. Firstly we speak to Professor Julia Riley. Julia's one of the country's leading palliative care consultants and Clinical Lead for a service called 'Coordinate My Care'. Talented poet and performer Audrey Ardern-Jones joins us for an extended 'Death Chatter'. Audrey worked for many years as a senior nurse at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and her beautiful poetry reflects her nursing experiences at the bedside. Listen out for three of Audrey's poems on the podcast.

As we emerge into whatever version of 'normal' we end up with after the acute phase of the pandemic, some of us are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Others, facing death or accompanying a dying loved one, may feel that light's a little further away. That's why we're here, really, to cover the subjects that matter on this human journey.That painful lack of face-to-face contact has been discussed a lot during the pandemic – not least by us here on the pod - so we're looking at how we can maximise the positive potential of the digital world to help those who may feel that acute isolation or lack of support just when they need it the most.The Centre for the Art of Dying Well has commissioned a piece of research on the subject that has led to a report called ‘The Internet and End of Life.' It has been produced by Demos – a thinktank that harnesses the power of data and research to help inform the social policies of tomorrow.So on this podcast we're speaking to Ciaran Cummings from Demos and our very own Maggie Doherty from the Centre for the Art of Dying Well to get the lowdown on why the report was commissioned and what we've learnt from the data.We also talk to Martin Symons from St Michael's Hospice in Hastings about how his team's using tech to bring the hospice's support services to a wider virtual community. And finally we speak to Debbi Francis who found herself in need of answers at 1 o'clock in the morning and turned to the Macmillan cancer support forums when her brother was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia.Let's launch in...

In recent years we've seen signs that more and more people are able to talk about death and dying. However, many more list death - and particularly dying alone - as their number one anxiety.This podcast juxtaposes two end-of-life realities - one commonplace, the other far less so. And it's the 'far less so' we're starting with. Lone deaths.Nobody chooses to die alone, right? Wrong. Some people plan very carefully to make sure they die alone. But why? Helping us to answer that question is sociologist Dr Glenys Caswell from Nottingham University's Centre for the Advancement of Research into Supportive, Palliative and End-of-Life Care.We then move on to an exciting partnership that brings together the Centre for the Art of Dying Well and the Society of St Vincent de Paul. We believe that nobody should die alone unless they choose to do so and this is why we're working on an End of Life Companionship programme. This podcast, with the help of Dr Lynn Bassett and broadcaster Julie Etchingham, will bring you up to speed with our plans.We finish with the 'Voice from the Chaplain's Chair' which once again comes from Fr Mark Paver - a Catholic priest who, as a new hospital chaplain, was thrust into the frontline when the COVID pandemic took hold in 2020.So a packed podcast but hopefully some nuggets of wisdom and consolation for everyone.

Covid-19 has hit the UK hard. 100,000 deaths is a statistic. 1 is a tragedy. Each death leaves a family bereaved, each hospital admission results in a person facing a fight - loved-ones anxiously hoping for the best from a distance. Covid-19 presents journalists with the biggest news story on sickness, death and dying for a generation.It's very timely, then, that we're talking to a very well-known broadcast journalist for our first 'Art of Dying Well' podcast of 2021 - someone who regularly appears on our TV screens. It's Julie Etchingham from ITV News.Julie talks about the challenges of reporting on Covid and also shares a few personal stories too.The 'Voice From the Chaplain's Chair' comes from Father Mark Paver - a Catholic priest from Salford who was thrust into hospital chaplaincy a little ahead of schedule to cope with this unprecedented healthcare situation at the time of the first peak in March 2020.Hope you enjoy the podcast. Please stay safe.

The 'Art of Dying Well' is exactly four years old and it's fitting we're in the month of November, or, as we call it, 'the month to remember'.Bereavement, grief, memories and remembrance make up the subject matter for this, our last Art of Dying Well podcast of 2020. The P word - pandemic - of course provides a different backdrop this year as we talk about those who have died but, importantly, those left behind.So to tackle this, we have a real expert on grief and bereavement - psychotherapist, author and speaker Julia Samuel. Julia is also founder patron of Child Bereavement UK.Lots of really useful advice offered thanks to Julia's wealth of experience, not to mention the eight pillars of strength to help us with grief and, indeed, all life's major changes. Following that we discuss the Good Grief Festival and the National Grief Awareness Week in 'Death Chatter' before Father George Bowen of the Brompton Oratory gives us the 'Voice from the Chaplain's Chair' - a lovely reflection on the virtues of faith, hope and charity when we pray for the dead.Something for everyone, so, as always, we hope you find it useful.

We've long said it, but how you live has a bearing on how you die. Dying well starts with living well. Being ready, being prepared, being reconciled, being happy and at peace with the way you treat yourself and others - they're all factors. Everyone has their own version of 'living well'.In these pandemic times, health, fitness and well-being have come to the fore so we have the perfect guest to discuss the drive to live better - Elliott Reid. Elliott is the founder of the Revitalize Health and Fitness Centre in Gravesend, Kent and is an osteopath and personal trainer. He is on a quest to help people deal with pain and walk a better path. 'The Voice from the Chaplain's Chair' comes from Maria Parker. Maria's a Catholic chaplain at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital and Queenscourt Hospice. Hospitals and hospices have come under the microscope in recent months with patient care and accompaniment so vitally important. We take a look at hospital and hospice chaplaincy - something that is as much a calling as a job.

This 'Art of Dying Well' podcast picks up where Episode 18 left off - counting the cost of COVID19 and how it has touched our lives and communities. Lockdown may be easing but the virus is certainly not a thing of the past. Politicians turn their thoughts to re-firing the economy, restrictions are being removed and the public at large is being encouraged to use its 'common sense'.But many people are coping with grief, separation and isolation in an entirely new way. Some have been denied being at the bedside of a dying loved one or even at the graveside for a final farewell.What mark will this collective trauma leave on a generation?To look at lockdown, loss and trauma, we're joined by three excellent guests.Our first contributor, Stephen Regal, is clinical lead at the Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth & Veterans Service in Nottingham. Stephen has a wealth of experience when it comes to sudden acute loss.We engage in a little 'Death Chatter' with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi at the New North London Synagogue and a prolific writer and thinker on Judaism to hear how his Jewish community in Finchley has dealt with the challenges of COVID-19.Finally the 'Voice from the Chaplain's Chair' comes from Father James Mackay, a Catholic priest from east London. Father James set up a 24/7 chaplaincy service at the Nightingale Hospital - a huge field hospital using the ExCel conference centre building whilst in operation.

This 'Art of Dying Well' podcast comes from a state of COVID-19 lock-down but covers an incredible amount of ground by way of an exclusive interview with friend of the show, Dr Kathryn Mannix.Kathryn is a Palliative Care physician, author of ‘With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial' and a woman who's on a mission to get us all better acquainted with the idea of dying well. She has returned to work during the COVID-19 pandemic and in this podcast tells us what it's like for staff, patients and loved ones at this unusual and difficult time. She believes that by the end of the pandemic “there are things we are doing now which will transform - for the better - how we will offer care forever".Listen to Dr Kathryn Mannix talk about:What it's like to care for people dying of COVID-19How the dying can be kept comfortableHow to relate when wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Palliative care and assisting with breathingThe remarkable NHS and care workers and how they need protectingStanding alongside those who are aloneHow care homes are copingThe L Word - loveSaying goodbye

OK so the title of today's podcast sounds like a line from a dodgy science fiction film but actually there's a serious point to be made. We've all heard the one about the certainties in life - death and taxes - and today we're talking about the former. This podcast focuses on confronting the realities of death and remembering that life is temporary and, at some point, we're all going to die. In Latin, the phrase is memento mori - "remember that you will die".Memento mori has preoccupied the minds of artists for centuries and there are many examples for us to look at. To help us get to grips with our mortality through the world of art and culture we're joined by two quite brilliant guests.First we chat to Patrick van der Vorst - an entrepreneur, dealer and art expert and former winner on BBC's Dragons Den. Add to this that Patrick's studying to be a Catholic priest in Rome and you have the weath of experience needed to take on this topic.Today's 'Death Chatter' is a real treat. In the chair is the marvellous Lynne Hanley. Lynne is an art expert and founder of 'Beyond the Palette' art tours. Packed with personality, she has been described as a ‘sassy raconteuse' with ‘wonderful insight into paintings'. So come with us as we're reminded of our mortality through the paintbrushes and palettes of some of the world's finest painters.

The last 'Art of Dying Well' podcast of 2019 sees us focus on the painful subjects of loss and grief at a time of year that can be particularly hard for those of us spending Christmas without a loved one. Simply getting from one day to the next can be a major challenge while all around you are seemingly in party mode.Today we hear from former Sky Sports and Blue Peter presenter Simon Thomas who talks about the pain and grief of having to cope with the death of his wife Gemma two years ago. Dr Lynn Bassett brings her years of experience in palliative care and chaplaincy to 'The Voice from the Chaplain's Chair', reflecting on just how we can accompany people who are grieving.Main interview recorded originally for Premier's Christianity Magazine by Marcus Jones.

In a packed and powerful 'Art of Dying Well' podcast we're bringing you the insight and experiences of three really interesting people. First up is the talented actor and writer Harriet Madeley - the main creative force behind a unique play about death and dying called 'The Colours'. It's based on interviews Harriet conducted with palliative care doctors and patients in Welsh seaside hospices and creatively moves through fantasy, memory and reality. 'Death Chatter' sees long-term friend of the show and palliative care guru Dr Kathryn Mannix join us to discuss medication - the three-step analgesic staircase and, in particular, the 'M' word - morphine.We finish by listening to a new 'Voice from the Chaplain's Chair' - that of Dr Lynn Bassett. Lynn has years of experience as a hospital and hospice chaplain and gives us a wonderful spiritual reflection. We also discuss the place of silence at the bedside. Fascinating stuff. Hope you enjoy it!

Today's podcast focuses on the launch of a new 'Deathbed Etiquette' resource - a guide to help friends and relatives prepare to be at the deathbed of a dying loved one. Dr Amy Gadoud - a palliative care professional and lecturer in palliative medicine - helps us explore deathbed etiquette. As well as being an expert in the field, she has her own personal experience to share with us. 'Death Chatter' features the award-winning LBC presenter Shelagh Fogarty who explains that the death conversation isn't something new, but that we are entering a new phase, turbo-charged by social media. Finally, today's 'Voice from the Chaplain's Chair' belongs to Sr Liz Farmer who offers a reflection on ‘finding the spirit' - with one of her engaging, illustrative stories.

Caring and accompanying people along the very human journey of dying lies at the heart of our podcasts - not to mention how we honour and remember our friends and family. Today, however, we're looking at animals and bereavement. We start by discussing the difficult task of talking to children about the death of a much-loved pet. Daniella Dos Santos - a veterinary surgeon who is as much at home talking to people as caring for animals - joins us to talk about how the professionals help animals facing death and how to explain what's happening to the grieving owners. We then engage in a little 'Death Chatter' with our newest podcast contributors Daniella Ballard and Sophie Reed who talk about their experiences of loss after the death of a pet. Finally we listen to 'The Voice from the Chaplain's Chair' - a reflection from Fr Philip Connor, a Catholic priest in Lancaster who has a dog called Bosco. Bosco brings great comfort to the patients Fr Philip visits in his local hospice.

I can't believe it has almost been a year since the last Art of Dying Well podcast but we're back talking death and dying and all the issues surrounding this difficult but very human journey.Our main interview this month is a really interesting conversation with an actor – the very charming and engaging Greg Wise. If you've been watching The Crown on Netflix you've probably seen Greg playing Lord Mountbatten. But we're not talking acting, we're talking about his sister Clare. Clare died in 2016 after a long, hard battle with cancer and along the way kept an intelligent, witty and moving blog about what she was going through. When she became too sick to go on, Greg finished the story – continuing, in a brutally honest and engaging fashion, what they went through as brother and sister during those hard months.‘The Voice from the Chaplain's Chair' is a fascinating chat with a really interesting guy. It's rare you come across someone who's so passionate about what they do that it's not a job it's a calling. I spoke to hospice chaplain Fr Peter Scott from St Joseph's Hospice in Hackney.

Something's not right. You've not heard from your father-in-law for a few weeks. You're close. That's not usual. The milk's on the doorstep, yesterday's papers are poking out of the letterbox. You know what's happened but you don't want to think it let alone say it. This is how Erica Buist felt when she encouraged husband Dion to cross London to check on his father. "I had to find a way to get him to check on Chris knowing I was sending him to find a dead body..."Finding a loved one dead at home is deeply traumatic. But what happens if you start to think you're not even entitled to grieve? What will you say to your work colleagues? How can you explain you're struggling to cope and can barely set foot outside your house? What happens when 'normal' daily tasks become impossible?In this month's Art of Dying Well podcast, Erica joins us in the studio (accompanied by her cute Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Ludo) to tell us her story and how she decided to deal with death. It's a fascinating story that involves visiting seven of the world's death festivals. So far the Day of the Dead - Día de Muertos - has been ticked off the list with a trip to Mexico. We find out whether this experience has changed Erica's perceptions of death, grief and recovery.The View from the Chaplain's Chair is a response from the marvellous Fr George Bowen.

February's Art of Dying Well podcast features an extended interview with BBC financial journalist Sally Bundock - co-presenter of the BBC's flagship business programme 'Business Live'.Sally's story is moving and inspiring. Sadly last Summer, after an eight-year battle with cancer, her husband Paul died. Devastating – especially when you leave a wife and three young children behind - but in the face of this grief, Sally is strong, positive and gives a great example of Christian witness.Well worth a listen.'Death Chatter' also has an inspiring woman at the heart of the discussion - former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell who gave a heart-rendering speech in the House of Lords about her battle with a brain tumour and how cutting-edge research and collaboration is the way forward.We finish with a reflection from Sister Liz Farmer - a lovely take on including children in the grieving process.

Here's our packed 'Art of Dying Well' podcast focusing on how music is vital for our well-being. Whether it acts as the soundtrack to our lives or as consolation at a time of grief, music is at the heart of the human experience. First up we speak to Eric Clarke, Professor of Music at Oxford University about how music can actually be an empathiser - almost a person - in how we listen and respond to it. Next it's 'Death Chatter' and we connect via Skype with Sue Kemple from mylastsoundtrack.com - a really useful online memorial tool. Finally we take in 'The View From The Choirmaster's Chair', a slight departure from the spiritual slot, speaking to Martin Foster, Choral Director at St Mary's University College, London. Martin talks to us about Requiems - the music of mourning. Fascinating, knowledgeable, rousing, soothing and inspiring. Enjoy.

November's Art of Dying Well podcast, fittingly, looks at remembrance. It is right that we remember the fallen of our wars and conflicts this month listening to a reflection from Fr Michael Fava from the Bishopric of the Forces. We also wanted to shine a light on how other cultures, traditions and faiths commemorate and pray for their dead. We listen to four interesting perspectives. 'Death Chatter' shifts the discussion to whether we are ever in danger of disrespecting the dead and we finish with our 'Chaplain's Chair' reflection from Bishop John Sherrington.

We're fast approaching the traditional month of remembrance. Catholic Churches have 'November Lists' so the community can pray for the souls of the departed. But the nation also pauses to pay its collective respects to those who died in the two World Wars and later conflicts. Our guest today is the former Bishop of the Forces the Rt Revd Richard Moth. We discuss how service personnel cope knowing their lives are frequently on the line. Also we discuss mental health in the military and another form of mourning - coping with the loss of a limb. We finish with three poignant World War One stories - two from the front line and one from back home.

Today's Art of Dying Well podcast looks at the world of the funeral director - looking after families and final wishes in the immediate aftermath of the death of a loved one. Not an easy job. Paul Allcock is our main studio guest. Paul's family-run independent business offers funeral services for the people of Norwich and the surrounding areas. We talk about the advantages of planning ahead, children at funerals, the pressures of the job and being buried in your football kit!'Death Chatter' follows the theme and asks 'Funeral Directors - Who Cares?'.We finish with 'The View from the Chaplain's Chair'. Our guest is the excellent Rev Andrew Goodhead from St Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, South East London. We talk about modern trends in terms of funerals, thanksgivings and memorials.

An ageing population has a significant impact on care services, so for this month's 'Art of Dying Well' podcast, we're looking at how we care for elderly people nearing the end of life.To do this, we've brought in our guest reporter Nina Mattiello Azadeh. Nina visited The Charterhouse - a former Carthusian monastery in the heart of London, founded in 1611, that provides accommodation to a community of elderly residents known as 'Brothers'. Nina speaks to two Brothers and the Revd Robin Isherwood, Chaplain at The Charterhouse.For 'Death Chatter' we talk about less traditional final resting places and how returning to nature in an unmarked plot has become a real option for many.We wrap things up with 'The View from the Chaplain's Chair'. Sister Liz Farmer looks at the value of getting out the photo albums to unlock precious memories. She did just this as she nursed her father in his last months.

Carolyne Barber's a very interesting lady. She has over 30 years of nursing experience caring for sick and dying people in many countries around the world. She's also a talented award-winning photographer who sees and captures all sorts of miracles of nature and uses her images to inspire those she cares for. In this podcast we also talk about sudden loss - particularly in light of the horrific Grenfell Tower fire and the tragic terror attacks in Manchester and London. Finally we conclude by asking Sister Kathleen Mary, assistant manager of St Anne's Care Home for the Elderly in London, "Who cares for the carers?"

There's a good reason we've called this initiative the 'Art of Dying Well'. There really is an art to living well and an art to dying well - and it's clear the two are intrinsically linked.This month we're delighted to have Louise Winter in the studio. Louise is a funeral professional and founder of Poetic Endings - a creative funeral provider. She's also editor of The Good Funeral Guide.Louise started work on the front line in the fashion industry but a 'quarter-life crisis' saw a switch of focus to helping grieving people to put together the best possible funeral for their loved one.We also talk about 'Life. Death. Whatever.' - a highly creative, though-provoking and interactive exibition looking at life, death and everything in-between. The stated aim of the exhibition is pretty close to ours here at the Art of Dying Well: "Working to re-design the dialogue about death and dying, to open it up and to find new approaches to this fundamental subject".Louise is so engaging that we over indulged ourselves and hence 'Death Chatter' takes a month off but we finish with a beautiful reflection on Christ's sacrifice and the road to Calvary in 'The View from the Chaplain's Chair'.With thanks to French and Mottershead - www.frenchmottershead.com - for the audio clip.www.artofdyingwell.org/podcasts

Thanks for checking out our second Art of Dying Well podcast. As ever, the aim's to make dying something we don't have to walk through alone. This month we're talking about palliative care with the wonderful and hugely experienced Dr Kathryn Mannix who has worked in palliative and end of life care for over 30 years. April's 'Death Chatter' looks at a subject we covered in our March podcast - children dealing with grief - focusing particularly on two programmes. The first, a BBC documentary in which ex-England footballer Rio Ferdinand discusses losing his wife to cancer and the subsequent challenges bringing up three young children and, the other, a Telegraph podcast in which Prince Harry speaks about how he pushed feelings of grief away for 20 years after the death of his iconic mother Princess Diana. We finish with 'The View from the Chaplain's Chair' joining Fr George Bowen, a former hospital chaplain at the Royal Brompton and also the Royal Marsden.

This is the first ever ‘Art of Dying Well' podcast. What is it? Simply put it's a monthly programme that aims to make death and dying something we can talk about openly without discomfort or fear. Dying well means different things to different people. Death is an individual experience, but a community of accompaniment on the journey can help us to prepare by bringing consolation and spiritual peace. In this podcast we cover child bereavement with Sue McDermott from the charity Rainbows GB, discuss the extraordinary on-air cancer diary of broadcaster Steve Hewlett and get the view from the Chaplain's Chair from Bishop Paul Mason – the Catholic Church's healthcare bishop.