A Question of Death

About the Episode In this solo episode, I explore the connection between food, memory, & legacy. Autumn’s reflective mood leads me to discuss how cherished recipes can live on as powerful keepsakes, especially after the loss of loved ones. I delve into the fascinating tradition of Thai funeral cookbooks, their historical significance, and how they preserve both culinary and personal histories....

About the Episode Amy & I discussed her moving and enlightening new book released on 30 September in the UK. About the Book “Death is the great equalizer, but not all deaths are created equal. In recent years, there has been an increased interest and advocacy concerning end-of-life and after-death care. An increasing number of individuals and organizations from health care to the funeral and d...

About the Episode In this episode we discussed the ethics around eating meat, hunting for food and the cycles of life. Should we honour the sacrifice of the animal on our plate or have we gotten so far from the earth and what it provides that we can consider meat and fish as just another item in a nutritional profile? This was a wide ranging discussion which also included the death of a close fami...

About the Episode Enjoy this fascinating conversation with Dr Icy Sedgwick about the Death Goddesses, Persephone & Hel via a short Hecate detour. We explore the connections between female deities and traditional views of femininity and how death Goddesses disrupt these ideas. It is wise to remember that Goddesses can and often do more than one job. This episode also answers the long debated qu...

About the Episode “You’re going to die. That’s not meant as a threat, by the way. Just establishing a premise.”  ― Evie King, Ashes to Admin: The Caseload of a Council Funeral Officer  In this episode I had wonderful conversation with Evie King about her wonderful book Ashes to Admin where she shared her story of how she became a Council Funeral Officer. The book contains intriguing and moving sto...

About the Episode I spoke with the wonderful Dr Dan O‘Brien in a fascinating discussion about historic funerary journeys. In or conversation he shared how this area of historical research had first attracted him as well as revealing why somepeople would brave the serious danger and significant expense of long distance travel with the dead rather than bury them close to where they died. Dr Dan is a...

About the Episode Samhain is celebrated by many of those who practice in the pagan tradition. As the veil between worlds thins during the end of October and beginning of November, we delve into the rich tapestry of traditions and rituals that connect us to our ancestors. Join us for a captivating conversation with Ceryn Rowntree, a storyteller, medium, and witch from the northeast of England, as s...

About the Episode "Life really is so precious and so fragile. There's no greater lesson from my work than that." A fascinating and uplifting conversation with the incredible Lucy Easthope, A conversation with Lucy Easthope, an emergency planner and author of "When the Dust Settles." Lucy shares her experiences in emergency planning, the significance of her book's title,...

About the Episode Have you ever said to a grieving friend or family member - ‘Let me know what I can do to help?’ This conversation gives some insight into why they might not ever ask. It also provides some ideas of tangible things you could actually do to help. We also shared how important it is to simply be there for those close to you who are grieving. Helping with practicalities can also be th...

About the Episode A discursive conversation with the wonderful Dr Alessandra Pino exploring the complex relationship between food and death in fiction. We discussed The Garden Party by Katharine Mansfield, Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl, Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers and the novels of Andrea Camilleri. There are definitely spoilers plus my recipe for leftover lamb shawarma which I am worr...

About the Episode A thoroughly interesting and enlightening conversation about the possibilities, expectations and choices in a modern funeral. Carrie Weekes is one half of the A Natural Undertaking , funeral directors in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Carrie and Fran founded the business together on the principal ‘that choice and the power to take greater control are important  when saying our final fa...

About the Episode A fascinating conversation about Corpse Roads with the amazing Icy Sedgwick, folklore blogger and host of the Fabulous Folklore podcast . You can also buy her wonderful book: Rebel Folklore: Empowering Tales of Spirits, Witches and Other Misfits from Anansi to Baba Yaga About the Podcast  Exploring and improving our relationship with death through respectful enquiry. Here you’ll...

About the Episode A wonderful warm conversation with Celebrant Ruth Graham who describes her role as: “an independent celebrant is free to conduct all kinds of services. From humanist (no religion whatsoever), through to a service with maybe a prayer or a hymn (or several), through to more spiritually-orientated content.” Ruth is also the author of two books ‘ A Thousand Goodbyes: The Surprising L...

About the Episode A conversation with Ashley-Anne Masters. We spoke about Food, Funerals and Mourning in the Deep South of America which is well known for its traditions and rituals around food and funerals. We discussed food and humour and how both can bring us together and help us in moments of grief and pain. Ashley Anne is a wonderfully warm, incredibly kind human being and I cannot thank her...

First Episode out Monday 11 March - Subscribe Now Exploring and improving our relationship with death through respectful enquiry. Here you’ll find conversations with those who work with the dead and grieving, in addition to episodes examining death through a lens of history & the arts, folklore and food.  We’ll take you from ancient funerary rituals to forensic anthropologists via green burial...