Dr Elizabeth Reeder, Dr Naomi Richards and Dr Amy Shea of the University of Glasgow have been a awarded a Research Network Grant (2022-24) by the prestigious Royal Society of Edinburgh to continue their work on Death Writes/ Reading & Writing Death & Dying. The grant is called COVID as Catalyst for Writing and Discussing Death, Dying… Continue reading
A recurring question I’ve been asked throughout this past year of teaching and research in the End of Life Studies field has been how far the global pandemic has brought about a more open acknowledgement of human mortality. This is an interesting take on what is a standard question for scholars of death and dying:… Continue reading
There has been a seismic shift in the way that funeral ceremonies are conducted in the wake of Covid-19. The effects of this on the bereaved are yet to be meaningfully understood. This conversation between a funeral celebrant and a mourner (at separate events) acknowledges the disruption caused. The impact of these changes, particularly the… Continue reading
Dr. Caroline Cupit This blog sits at the intersection of my professional and personal experiences. I am a social scientist at University of Leicester, and I use ethnographic and qualitative interview methods to study the social organisation of healthcare, and to support quality improvement. I also have previous experience in hospice care. This blog is… Continue reading
Our investigation into the barriers to dying at home for people living in poverty in the UK has become even more important considering the Covid-19 pandemic. This is because Covid-19 and the resulting lockdown has increased levels of poverty and worsened conditions for those already experiencing poverty. As of September 2020, we have begun recruitment… Continue reading
A yellow heart has been widely shared across the UK during lockdown, giving many bereaved families a meaningful opportunity to visibly share their loss and grief. Originating from a single bereaved family, this simple and powerful movement has showcased one of many new forms of grieving developed during the time of Covid-19. In the face… Continue reading
TS Eliot’s chilling start to The Waste Land has deep resonance in the time of COVID-19. We seem to be exactly in that instant when ‘the dead tree gives no shelter’, when ‘I was neither living nor dead’, and when ‘He who was living is now dead’[i]. The mere 30 days of April have felt… Continue reading
Before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted conventional thinking around death and dying, Death Cafés around the world were encouraging people to reflect on their mortality. Death Cafés are informal social spaces where strangers meet to ‘have a conversation’ about death and dying. They can be organised by anyone, anywhere in the world. With death rates now… Continue reading
