Death Cafes (now ended)

Death Cafés were first established by Jon Underwood in 2011 as informal, community-led gatherings where people come together to talk openly about death and dying — often over tea and cake.

They are not therapy, nor are they grief or bereavement support groups. Instead, they offer a space for reflective conversation, where people can explore thoughts, questions, and experiences around mortality in a respectful and open environment.

Between 2022 and 2024, we hosted a series of online Death Cafés through The Wisdom Space. These gatherings brought together people from across the world in a spirit of curiosity, honesty, and shared humanity — opening up conversations not only about death, but about what it means to live well.

We remain deeply grateful to everyone who took part.

Facilitated by Sue Judge and former Wisdom Space Elder Sue Brayne, these spaces explored themes of mortality, grief, meaning, and consciousness — often unfolding into rich and unexpected reflections on life itself. Together, they created environments that were grounded, thoughtful, and deeply human.

While these cafés are no longer running through The Wisdom Space, Death Cafés continue to take place around the world. If you feel drawn to attend one, you can explore current listings via DeathCafe.com. I have also included a free download for “Top ten tips for end-of-life planning” creatrd with Family Tree Funeral Company.

Many of the themes they held continue to live on within The Wisdom Space — particularly through work exploring ageing, eldership, and the deeper questions of what it means to be human.

“Death is not the opposite of life, but an innate part of it.”
— Haruki Murakami