Death Cafe

A Death Cafe is a place for people to gather over a drink and cake and have an unstructured discussion about death and dying. Some people think it sounds morbid or macabre but in fact it gives those that wish to a chance to talk freely about a topic which is often shut down or treated as taboo. A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session.

Death Cafe was the brainchild of Cestrian Jon Underwood who was inspired by the work of Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz. As a devout Buddhist Jon contemplated death every day and realised that this significant event was important for everyone to think about ‘to help them make the most of their (finite) lives’. Jon and his mother, Chester resident Susan Barsky Reid, developed the model for Death Cafe in 2011 when the first one was held, hosted by Susan in Jon’s home in Hackney. Since this first one, over 20,000 Death Cafes have been held in 93 countries.

For more information please visit www.deathcafe.com or contact Susan on barskyreid@btinternet.com