The Art of Dying Well
Our podcast aims to make death and dying something we can talk about openly without discomfort or fear. Presented by James Abbott, our award-winning show features James in conversation with a guest on a key topic related to the Art of Dying Well, taking in everything from being at the bedside of a dying loved one, to receiving a terminal diagnosis. Coping with grief, bereavement, death, dying, and much more are all under discussion.
- Update frequency
- every 60 days
- Average duration
- 44 minutes
- Episodes
- 46
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Values-driven Medical Training | Episode 46
In this episode, Professor Sonia Kumar, founding Executive Dean of Medicine at St. Mary’s University's new School of Medicine, shares her vision for a more compassionate, values-driven …
Super-aged Asian societies and the D-word | Episode 45
The world is aging rapidly. People are living longer. Everyone wants their death to be calm, peaceful and reconciled - ideally at home, and in the presence of family and loved ones.
End…
Caring for Pa | Episode 44
Understanding the shock, pain, and anxiety that comes after a terminal diagnosis is often best articulated through first-person stories. For the first Art of Dying Well podcast of 2025,…
Art and the Afterlife | Episode 43
Since the dawn of time, people have been asking those huge existential questions: What comes next? What happens to us after we die? These questions have preoccupied artists, writers, th…
Bereavement in Education | Episode 42
With parents, grandparents, and guardians all getting into the flow of the dreaded autumnal 'back to school' routine, it seemed appropriate for us to revisit a topic we first looked at …
Hospices "help you live until you die" | Episode 41
Hospices - places you go to die, right? Horizontal in a bed for the last months of your life? Decades ago, perhaps, but the modern hospice offers a wide variety of services - all design…
Where there's a Will there's a way | Episode 40
On this episode of the Art of Dying Well podcast, we're breaking the taboo around end of life planning.
Host James Abbott sits down with Matthew Hutton, the author of a very useful book …
Back to Life | Second chances and spiritual awakening | Episode 39
The first Art of Dying Well podcast of 2024 looks at coma recovery, second chances and spiritual awakening.
James Macintyre, a freelance journalist and biographer, describes his extraord…
How we remember the dead | A reflective tour of the beautiful London Oratory Church | Episode 38
Traditionally November is the month for remembering; for remembrance services; the lighting of candles; special prayers and the blessing of graves.
In this special episode of the podcast…
Still birth and Abigail's Footsteps | Baby Loss Awareness Week | Episode 37
In part two of our special episode in support of Baby Loss Awareness Week in the UK, our host James Abbott speaks to two wonderful people who took their own trauma and grief and did an …
Grieving The Loss of a Child | Baby Loss Awareness Week | Episode 36
There can be few things more devastating than the death of a child. This incredibly emotive and difficult subject is the focus of this episode, which takes the form of two testimony-bas…
Listen to me, I'm dying! | Episode 35
This episode has the rather provocative title Listen to me, I’m dying! But what do we mean by that? Find out as host James Abbott discusses with our guests how much of a say do we reall…
Eternity? What happens after we die | Episode 34
This episode of the Art of Dying Well podcast sees us ponder one of those huge existential questions – a question that has surely preoccupied every single one of us at some point... Wha…
Healing Grief Through Sport | Episode 33
In this episode we speak to Dr Leanne Griffiths, the Dean of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Science at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, and founder of Sophie’s Stars, a charity d…
The Art of Dying Well - What Have We Learned? | Episode 32
In this Art of Dying Well podcast, we're dipping into our audio archives to celebrate the ground we’ve covered in nearly five years of broadcasting. When we started the podcast, one of …
The Philosophy of Life and Death | Episode 31
What does it mean to live well and what impact can this have on our death? Can living well really help us achieve a so-called good death?
These issues have preoccupied great minds throug…
Why end of life companionship matters | Episode 30
Most of us would rather not be alone at the end of life, which is why so many organisations, charities and faith groups are coming together to find a solution.
There are a number of ver…
Living well, ageing well and dying well | Episode 29
As we embrace the Spring sunshine here in the UK we're looking forward to spending more time outside, meeting up with friends and loved ones, and generally enjoying the warmer weather.
…
The Art of Listening Well | Episode 28
Well, we’re emerging into the light from the pandemic – much as it has not fully gone away - and we’re socialising and speaking to each other more. But how are our conversational skills…
Men and Grief | Episode 27
We've all heard the stereotypes... men aren't good with their emotions. Men don't talk about things close to their hearts. It's all 'stiff upper lip' and 'show must go on'. So what happ…