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Talk and tea – at Collins Booksellers, Thirroul.

Tea and talk - at Collins Booksellers, Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Sunday November 3 from 2.30pm

A group met on Sunday, 3 November, 2019 at Collins Booksellers, 5/264 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul, NSW. The best thing about it was that a group of strangers came together and helped someone in our midst who wanted help with ideas. Her mother had just told her she only has … Read more

We discussed planning documents – at Paperchain Bookshop.

Margaret Rice will speak at Paperchain, Manuka, 23 October, 2019.

If you would like to attend this free event, for catering purposes, please RSVP to Paperchain at : http://books@PaperchainBookstore.com.au or phone Paperchain on 02 6295 6723.

We talked – at Paddington Library

Let's talk about A Good Death at Paddington Library

Writers and Readers: A Good Death with Margaret Rice A lovely group of about 20 tonight (Thursday 17 October 2019), all keen to share ways to improve the way we die. Which led to many questions, among them the following: How do I ensure I get access to the right … Read more

Is death painful or more like uncomfortable?

ELDAC is providing opportunities for aged care facilities to improve their palliative care - pic courtesy ELDAC

The subject of painful death came up during a recent discussion about the palliative care needs of the elderly. “It’s probably more accurate to describe the discomforts of death, rather than pain at death, since for most people it is uncomfortable rather than painful,” a palliative care nurse explained. That’s … Read more

Why CPR is often not compatible with a quiet death.

Death in the Sickroom by Edvard Munch

I’m going to show you contrasting end of life sick beds. I’m hoping these images will help you think about your end-of-life moment more realistically. The painting Death in the Sickroom, by Edvard Munch has the level of gravitas many of us imagine at our deathbeds. Everyone is very passive, … Read more

Writing Life Well

Writing Life Well - Find out more at The Faber Academy

A good death: a compassionate and practical guide to prepare for the end of life started with an idea – very much from my own personal experience – that I wanted to share. It was the wonderful people at Murdoch Books, with special championing from Corinne Roberts, who encouraged and … Read more

We talked – and raised money for Can Too’s cancer research

Anne Lingafelter, extreme right, is fundraising to fight cancer

We were a small group  on September 18, 2019. It was cosy, just like a book club, with about 11 of us. Anne Lingafelter hosted, raising more than $1000 for cancer research through Can Too which has already raised $22 million. We want to fight cancer deaths, just as much … Read more

Watch this space – A Good Fight.

Jill Emberson and Malia Emberson-Lafoa'i courtesy Brent Wilson, Australian Story

In a few minutes an episode of ABC’s Australian Story about a friend who is very dear to me will go to air. The story – The Good Fight – is about Jill Emberson an ABC radio personality from Newcastle. Jill is an old school friend of mine who was … Read more

You only die once campaign starts

Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Margaret Rice talk about a good death. and Joe hildebrand talk about a good death

Updated 4 March, 2022. We’ve just had a wonderful chat with the team from ELDAC about end of life planning. They’ve asked us to remind readers to sign up to their ELDAC newsletter, which we urge you to do – (as long as you sign up to our Good Grief! … Read more

Making music as a way to say goodbye

"When my Grandma passed away it was a catalyst for me to start writing songs that could help people," says Jay Stansfield.

Here is a wonderful example of how we can bring our talents and who we are right up to the experience of the death of someone we love.  Being with the people we love as they die and actively participating in how we say goodbye to them makes death easier … Read more

We talked – at the Canberra Writers’s Festival.

Melissa Reader, left, the CEO of LifeCircle, author Margaret Rice and Dr Suharsha Kanathigoda, Director of Palliative Care ACT and a senior staff specialist at Calvary Hospital and Clare Holland House.

We challenged –  each other and policy makers…  …to help improve the way end-of-life services are delivered in this country. But we – both the panel and the audience – shared deeply personal stories, starting with that of our wonderful interviewer Melissa Reader. She interviewed Dr Suharsha Kanathigoda, Director of … Read more

My Deer, Phoenix Park.

Phoenix Park, Ireland, pic courtesy National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Ireland.

That’s a full stop – a red stop sign with angled corners and a white line around it.  Resting here, my knees have buckled, in front of that sign you planted in my path. I have walked this space so confidently, happy to share what I know, to muck in. … Read more

Play School helps with stories about beginnings and endings.

Play School: Beginnings and Endings - courtesy Play School ABC

This morning Play School did something very special. It had an episode about new life and end of life. Emma, one of the presenters explained to an earlier television news audience that the team sought the guidance of experts on managing grief in children. Children deal with death in a … Read more

Death Cafe at Sutherland Library

Sutherland Library, Sydney, holds a Death Cafe

Sutherland Library’s meeting room was filled to capacity with about 100 people on August 8, 2019, and the Death Cafe organised by Home Instead’s Karen Buckley was fully subscribed within days of being advertised. Karen and her team had worked tirelessly to show people the importance of being well prepared. … Read more

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