Memento Mori: Reclaiming death, dying and bereavement

Explore death, culture and digital legacy through panel discussion and poetry/prose workshops in a safe, reflective space. The whole event will take three hours with breaks included; panel discussion (1.5hr), poetry/prose workshop (1.5hr) culminating in a co-created poem. 

Explore death, culture and digital legacy through panel discussion and creative writing in a safe, reflective space. Death is one experience we all share, yet many of us avoid talking about it. What if having conversations could help reduce fear, deepen understanding and encourage us to plan for the future? Join us for a unique and thought-provoking participatory event that explores death from different perspectives, including everyday life, culture and what happens to our digital legacy. Combining expert discussion with creative writing, this event will provide a safe, respectful and supportive space to have conversations around death, rememberence and legacy. The event will begin with an engaging panel discussion exploring how death and dying is understood across different cultures and global perspectives alongside the increasingly important question about what happens to our digital legacy when we die. Our panel includes:
Kristoffer Hughes (TV presenter and author)
Sarah Stanley (Marie Curie Nurse and LJMU Post Graduate Researcher)
The discussion will be Chaired by Dr Natalie Pitimson (Associate Professor, University of London).
The panel discussion will last approximately one hour and will include an audience Q&A, offering attendees the opportunity to share reflections and ask questions. Following the panel discussion participants will be invited to take part in a poetry and prose workshop facilitated by professional writer Mandy Redvers-Rowe. Drawing on ideas and themes from the panel discussion, participants will use a range of visual and written prompts, including photographs and objects to inspire reflection and creativity. No previous writing experience is required. Participants will have opportunity to experiment with different forms of writing and poetry. Whether you come to listen, reflect, write, or simply be part of the conversation, this event offers a rare opportunity to explore a topic that connects us all through culture, creativity, and shared humanity. This event is appropriate for an adult audience who are comfortable with conversations around death, dying and bereavement.
Please note this event is not a bereavement support group and does not provide grief counselling.
This event is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2026 and was made possible thanks to funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. The event features research from Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Clare van Miert, School of Nursing, Public, and Allied Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Professor Kay Standing School of Humanities and Social Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Sarah Stanley, Marie Curie Nurse and Post Graduate Researcher, Liverpool John Moores University,  Dr Natalie Pitimson is an Associate Professor in Sociology at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her work explores the place and experience of death and grief in everyday life. Her recent research has examined bereavement in the workplace, funeral poverty, mortality in care homes during the Covid-19 pandemic and the intersections between climate migration, death ritual and human rights. 

This event is appropriate for an adult audience who are comfortable with conversations around death and dying. Please note this event is not a bereavement support group and does not provide grief counselling. 

This event may be of interest to adults living in the Wirral area who are comfortable having conversations around death and dying. This event may also be of interest to those working in areas of palliative care. 

1st November