Today (13th May 2025), the 129 members of the Scottish Parliament vote on whether the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) bill passes to stage 2 and makes its way towards becoming an Act of Parliament. It is 10 years since Scottish politicians voted on the issue and the international picture has changed considerably… Continue reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
How can anthropological theories enhance understanding of how people dying of Covid-19 were treated during the height of the pandemic? Dr Marian Krawczyk and I are both anthropologists who teach and research about end of life. We felt there was value in highlighting some key theories which could aid public understanding. Our new 2023 article,… Continue reading →
On the End of Life Studies MSc Programme, there is a course entitled Cultural Representations of Death and Dying which examines how dying, death and grief have been represented in popular culture (film, TV, mainstream fiction), visual arts (fine art, photography) and literary genres (creative non- fiction) over the last half century. Students are introduced to… Continue reading →
The DeathWrites Network, funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) and University of Glasgow Arts Lab, held its 2nd Symposium on 6th October, 2022. During the hybrid event at the historic Glasgow Women’s Library, we heard keynotes from the Scottish poet, playwright, and performer Hannah Lavery and from the Open Museum curator, Elaine Addington. Our Network of 30 talented Scotland-based writers,… Continue reading →
Today, Tuesday 27th September 2022, we are releasing the first 3 digital stories from our research project about barriers to, and experiences of, home dying when experiencing financial insecurity and hardship. Digital stories are 2-3 minute films combining photos, music and voiceover, within a narrative structure. This is a participatory visual method, adapted for use… Continue reading →
