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Every Time I Find The Meaning Of Life, They Change It
by Daniel Klein
“I’m currently reading a book that was gifted to me by a close friend following a bereavement. It’s been my constant recommendation already.”
The words of Reinhold Niebuhr provide the title and set the tone for what is a wryly humorous look at some of the great philosophical pronouncements on the most important question we can face.
Aongola, Dying Matters supporter
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The Soul of Rumi
by Coleman Barks, Jalal Al-Din Rumi
Famous poet Rumi’s reflections on death, the afterlife and the soul’s journey; the theme explores death not as an end but a reunion with Divine. Although Rumi's poetry grows out of the rich and robust soil of Sufism, it speaks to the hearts and minds of people of all religions and spiritual paths.
Prof Dr Syed Qamar Abbas, Medical Director at St Clare Hospice
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Living with the Dead
by Professor Laura King
The dead are everywhere in family life. From a great-grandmother's recipe made time and again, and a black-and-white photo of a family on a beach, to a much-told story of a family fleeing their home many decades ago, families are made by their pasts.
This book charts the way families create afterlives for their ancestors, asking who and what gets to be remembered, and why.
Chris, Dying Matters Supporter
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A Gift for the Bereaved Parent
by Zamir Hussain
The loss of a child is probably the most painful experience a parent can go through. It is at such times of deep sorrow and grief that people often turn to their faith.
This book explores this need from the Islamic perspective, giving permission to be human whilst offering comfort, healing and gentle encouragement through the grief.
Tara Mahmood, South Asian Support Worker at Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice
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On the Marie Curie Couch with Dr Amir Khan
“If you go to a Muslim graveyard, it's adorned with gorgeous plants and flowers... It's actually a really positive place, and there are lots of families there. It's not quiet at any point in the day.”
Dr Amir Khan talks about the death of his father, and the Muslim cultural customs that happen when a loved one dies.
Dr Zoebia Islam, Consultant in Palliative Medicine & Research Lead at LOROS Hospice
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The Book of Life, & Coco
These films focus on the Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos), a two day holiday in Mexico that reunites the living and dead.
Cutting across the ages, these films are vital in sparking awareness and conversations about the importance to talk about death more openly, to remember others through shared stories in community; and to become more at ease with the thought of death and dying.
Dr Jane Lavery, Associate Professor in Latin American Studies at the University of Southampton
Could you support Dying Matters?
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We can’t do any of this without support from you, and supporters just like you – who want to see the UK’s communities having open and honest conversations about death and dying.
We’d be hugely grateful if you’d consider making a donation to Hospice UK, who run the Dying Matters campaign. You’d be helping keep the campaign running, so that together we can make sure those honest, open conversations are becoming a part of everyday life.
Read more
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Many of our Dying Matters Awareness Week 'Books and more' contributors have shared their experiences of death and dying in their culture. Read them here.
