The Art of Dying Well

Send us a text In this episode, Professor Sonia Kumar, founding Executive Dean of Medicine at St. Mary’s University's new School of Medicine, shares her vision for a more compassionate, values-driven approach to medical education. She discusses the importance of human connection, spirituality, and supporting both patients and doctors through death, dying, and grief. With moving stories from her career as a GP, Professor Kumar explains how the new school will prepare future doctors to care for the whole person — body, mind, and spirit — during and at the end of life.

Send us a text The 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 text Understanding 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 text Since 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 text With 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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?

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.”

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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?

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.

Send us a Text Message. 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.