A Halloween Ode to Brompton Cemetery
Inspired by a Halloween stroll around Brompton Cemetery, London, Part of Life penned a poem to shine a light on the beauty to be found behind cemetery walls.
Book review: A Beginner’s Guide to Dying
A beginner’s Guide to Dying, a review of Simon Boas’s acclaimed and inspiring end of life journey, by James Byron.
Demystifying body donation
Body donation is the act of giving your whole body after death to a medical school or research institution for use in education, research or training. So why do people choose to donate their bodies and how can you do it?
Doctors and death: A Dose of Grief
According to research, nearly 80% of doctors have experienced a distressing patient event in the last year, and many go on to suffer from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Two Melbourne medical students, share how unprepared they felt to deal with the inevitable deaths of patients and how they are tackling this important issue.
Is death really taboo?
Sue Brayne has an MA in the Rhetoric and Rituals of Death and is an end-of-life researcher and she is the author of The D-Word: talking about dying.
In this blog for Part of Life, Sue explains how her work with the Death Café movement has led her to believe that talking about death is no longer the taboo it once was, but what we lack is the understanding of how to talk about death and dying.
Review - ‘Eternal You’: a documentary about the Digital Afterlife Industry
Khadiza Laskor reviews ‘Eternal You’ for Part of Life: a documentary about the Digital Afterlife Industry, released in June 2024 at the Sundance Film Festival.
Khadiza is a third-year PhD Student at the University of Bristol’s Cyber Security Centre for Doctoral Training Programme.
Nature connectedness – Dorothy House’s Interactive Nature Trail
As a Hospice, Dorothy House’s vision is of a society where death is part of life. Through its seasons, nature reminds us of the fragility of life and offers peace and solace from sadness and overwhelm. Their ambition is to open up the site at Winsley, Bradford-on-Avon, to anyone wishing to find a wellbeing space to reflect in nature, or to find serenity in grief.
Motor Neurone Disease study findings published in BMC Palliative Care
21 June, 2024 marks Global Motor Neurone Awareness Day. This date is selected for the special reason that it marks a solstice seen by many as a turning point in the year; the start of a new season of hope. Research into MND, which affects 1 in 300, can help offer that hope.
Digital Immortality: In memory of Gordon Bell
In May 2024, one of the pioneers of personal computing passed away. Those familiar with technology’s relationship with death will be aware of Chester Gordon Bell, who helped coin the phrase ‘Digital Immortality.’ Khadiza Laskor had the privilege of meeting him a few months ago, and felt it was important to reflect upon Bell’s influence in the sphere of digital immortality.
Wild swimming and grief
Increasing numbers of studies are connecting the power of nature to wellbeing, pain management and peace at end of life. At Part of Life, we understand that nature can be a solace for mental suffering, be it anxiety, depression or grief.
There are many ways to connect with nature to access its mental health benefits. One popular method to immerse oneself in nature is wild swimming.
Burial customs from around the world
In the western world, though our funerary practices are evolving, we are most familiar with two methods to dispose of the dead: burial and cremation. In other parts of the world, the treatment of the dead and disposal of remains can vary enormously, with vastly differing rituals and beliefs.
A Good Goodbye
What makes a good goodbye? We invited independent funeral celebrant, and ex-social worker, Susanna Watson to share her thoughts on what elements make for a good funeral send off.
Cemetery Photography
Ever heard of Taphophilia? We approached tombstone tourist, Madame Cimetière, to share her love of cemetery photography and discover more about this respectful and beautiful art form.
Dr. Kate Woodthorpe on the future of grief
Part of Life spoke to Dr. Kate Woodthorpe, Co-Director of the Centre for Death and Society (CDAS) at Bath University, about how she came to work in death studies and where she believes the future of grief is heading.
‘Get Mortal’ - Dead Good Parties
We are sisters, Katy and Lindsey Vigurs (Vigurs rhymes with tigers). We are the founding directors of DEAD GOOD, a not-for-profit, arts-based death education company that aims to end taboos around all things death and dying. We have deliberately introduced a bright, bold and quirky vibe to the death education scene in the UK.
My Grief Playlist
Study beats, Saturday night party hits, hardcore workout anthems maybe, but a Grief Playlist? As part of National Grief Awareness Week, guest blogger, Amy Jackson shares her top five songs to grieve to. Listen along, share your top tunes and visit our Part of Life Playlist.
Children need to know
As part of Children’s Grief Awareness Week (16-23 November), we asked We Hear You’s Chair Of Trustees and Dorothy House Psychological Support Lead, Anne Montague to provide some useful tips for how to support children through grief.
Kicking the Bucket – A festival of living and dying
Liz Rothschild set up the Kicking the Bucket Festival in 2012. Working as a celebrant and burial ground manager, she realised that it was essential to talk with people before a bereavement in order for people to feel able to ask for what they really need. Here, Liz tells us about why she started the festival, what it involves, and how it helps to destigmatise the taboo subject of death and dying.
Funeral traditions – where did they come from and where are they going?
You may be surprised to discover that many of the traditions associated with the modern British funeral are actually hundreds, or even thousands of years old. But nothing is permanent, and trends are now moving in a very different direction.
Talking to the dead: a history of Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a system of belief based on the concept of communication with the dead, mostly through mediums – people who are able to contact the deceased. But where did it come from? How do mediums make contact with the dead? And do people still practice Spiritualism and séances?