Posts by Naomi Richards

Exit Stage Left – Directing Funeral Literacy in Fife

Published on: Author: Naomi Richards 1 Comment

A blog by Michael Hannah and Stella McCulloch Each year in May, Good Life Good Death Good Grief co-ordinates activities across Scotland as part of Demystifying Death Week. It’s all about giving people knowledge, skills and opportunities to plan and support each other through death, dying, loss and care. As such it represents a significant… Continue reading

Assisted Dying in Scotland: As a New Parliamentary Bill is Launched, Time to Bust 5 Myths

Published on: Author: Naomi Richards 4 Comments

The proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults [Scotland] Bill launched on Thursday 28th March 2024. The Bill proposes allowing terminally ill people over the age of 16 the right to request lethal medication from a doctor which they would self-administer to bring an immediate end to their own life at a time and place of their choosing.… Continue reading

What are the Implications of the Proposed Assisted Dying Bill (Scotland) for the Hospice Sector? Themes from 3 Hospice UK Workshops

Published on: Author: Naomi Richards 2 Comments

This article was written by Naomi Richards in collaboration with Aileen Morton, Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer for Hospice UK in Scotland. In early 2024, as the hospice sector in Scotland grappled with the prospect of another parliamentary vote on whether or not to legalise assisted dying, I was invited by Hospice UK to facilitate… Continue reading

A Mexican Translation of Death Café: “Café con Catrina”

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This blog was written by Gina Tarditi, one of the first graduates from our MSc in End of Life Studies. On October 25th 2023, the Center for Palliative Care of Mexico organized the first “Café con Catrina” in Mexico City, which 28 people attended. The meeting was inspired by Death Café and Death Over Dinner. Both these movements,… Continue reading

Another Day in Paradise and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Two Prompts for Contemplating Death as an 11-Year Old Child

Published on: Author: Naomi Richards 2 Comments

The first half of this blog was written by Simon Dewhurst, who works in the facilities team at the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability. The second half is written by Dr Marian Krawczyk, Lecturer and programme lead for the End of Life Studies PGCert/PGDip/MSc. The genesis of the blog was a serendipitous conversation between… Continue reading

Dying in the Margins – Reflections

Published on: Author: Naomi Richards 1 Comment

The ESRC-funded Dying in the Margins study officially ended this week after 4 years (31st August 2023). Below are some of our reflections on this complex study. The various impacts of the work are still unfolding as Marie Curie continue to press for legislative changes at Holyrood and Westminster, and as we begin to take the… Continue reading

The Financial Impact of Paying for a Funeral: Call for Research Participants

Published on: Author: Naomi Richards 2 Comments

Blog by Ruth Bickerton, PhD Candidate in Human Geography at the University of Dundee Almost one in five people organising a funeral in the UK have notable financial concerns about paying for it[1]. This means that over 126,000 funerals each year cause real financial problems[2]. Funerals can cost on average in the region of £4,000 for… Continue reading

DeathWrites: Writing Truth Through Fiction

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This blog piece was written by Charlotte Luke, a writer from Inverness, who is also part of the RSE-funded DeathWrites network of 30 Scotland-based writers. Last year, around 8 months after my dad died in a hillwalking accident, I heard about the DeathWrites Network, a group of writers tackling the subjects of death, dying and… Continue reading