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Artwork for The Death Studies Podcast

The Death Studies Podcast

The Death Studies Podcast
Death Studies
Council Funeral Services
Social Justice
Cultural Studies
Death
Queer Death Studies
Palliative Care
Grief
Assisted Dying
Death Activism
Funeral Poverty
Cemeteries
Section 46
Necrosexuality
Design
End Of Life
Police Violence
Death Positivity Movement
Community Support
Unidentified Dead

The Death Studies Podcast is a platform for the diversity of voices in, around and contributing to the academic field of Death Studies. Find out more at www.thedeathstudiespodcast.com

72 ratings
PublishesMonthlyEpisodes69Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Social SciencesScience

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Artwork for The Death Studies Podcast
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Latest Episodes

Dr Jane McCarthy on grief, bereavement, family relationships, relationality, children, young people and death, decolonising death studies, climate emergency and more

Who is Jane?

Jane McCarthy is an English sociologist who has worked for many decades across various disciplines to focuson ‘family’, childhood, and relationality. In the last 25 years,since the death of her husband when their daughter was aged 5, she... more

2 Oct 2026 • 1 hr 10 min • Most popular

Professor Joanna Stalnaker on death and philosophy, writing at the end of life, last works, Enlightenment thinking, women in the Enlightenment, teaching, and developing a brain tumour

What's is this episode about?

In this episode, hear Professor Joanna Stalnaker on death and philosophy, writing at the end of life, last works, Enlightenmentthinking, women and philosophy in the Enlightenment, teaching, pedagogy, and her experience ... more

1 Sep 2026 • 1 hr

J.T. Welsch on poetry and suicide, poets’ lives, autoethnography, memoir, suicidology, creative writing, language and the messiness of life

Who is J.T. Welsch?

J. T. Welsch is a writer and academic born in the US andbased in the UK, where he teaches at the University of York. He is the author of several books of and about poetry, including Orchids (2010), The Hell Creek Anthology (2015... more

1 Aug 2026 • 1 hr 14 min

Love and Loss: A Day at Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs and more

What's the episode about?

In this episode, hear about an event on Love and Loss: A DayAt Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, sex, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs... more

27 Jul 2026 • 48 min

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Recent Guests

Jane McCarthy
English sociologist focusing on family, childhood, and relationality
The Open University (late career), various academic affiliations mentioned in discussion
Episode: Dr Jane McCarthy on grief, bereavement, family relationships, relationality, children, young people and death, decolonising death studies, climate emergency and more
Joanna Stalnaker
Author and professor; specializes in Enlightenment philosophy and death in literature
Columbia University, Department of French
Episode: Professor Joanna Stalnaker on death and philosophy, writing at the end of life, last works, Enlightenment thinking, women in the Enlightenment, teaching, and developing a brain tumour
JT Welsch
Writer and academic based in the UK, author of The Poetry of Suicide
University of York
Episode: J.T. Welsch on poetry and suicide, poets’ lives, autoethnography, memoir, suicidology, creative writing, language and the messiness of life
Janine Faulkner
Therapist and grief walks facilitator
Independent
Episode: Love and Loss: A Day at Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs and more
Helen Frisby
Historian and folklorist
Independent/Academic circles
Episode: Love and Loss: A Day at Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs and more
Pam Locke
University of Bristol researcher on alcohol in Victorian fiction
University of Bristol
Episode: Love and Loss: A Day at Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs and more
Jo Parsons
Senior Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Falmouth University
Falmouth University
Episode: Love and Loss: A Day at Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs and more
Andrew Griffiths
Senior lecturer in English Literature
Open University
Episode: Love and Loss: A Day at Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs and more
Janine Marriott
Public Engagement Manager at Arnos Vale Cemetery
Arnos Vale Cemetery
Episode: Love and Loss: A Day at Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs and more

Hosts

Dr Renske Visser
Host of The Death Studies Podcast; academic with a focus on death studies and public engagement
Dr Bethan Michael-Fox
Co-host and editor with a focus on death studies, public engagement, and interdisciplinary scholarship
Renske Visser
Co-host with research interests in death studies and memorial practices

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 72 ratings
  • Fascinating, informative and moving

    Beth and Renske are wonderful hosts and have a fantastic range of guests who bring so many interesting perspectives on death studies. I’ve laughed, cried and learnt so much!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    A Wicked Voice
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Art and Grief

    Wonderful conversation with Lucy Willow…

    Generously open, emotionally engaging and enlightening.

    Art has the capacity to realign the taboos around death and grief. Lucys work sensitively opens up those conversations. 💫

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ArtistWright
    United Kingdom5 years ago
  • I love this podcast

    This is such a beautiful podcast. It takes an event we all deal with in some way at some time and deals with the myriad facets of it with such care and curiosity. It’s dazzling. The empathy and humanity of the conversations, the insights, the fact that it covers so many approaches to death and dying and is always accessible and never exclusive, understandable but deep and deeply moving makes it one of my favourite shows to listen to, learn from, and be moved by.

    Extraordinary work.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Foxgrove
    United Kingdom5 years ago
  • Great podcast- so much to learn!

    Wonderful podcast with fantastic hosts getting together with interesting figures from the death studies community. Looking forward to future episodes!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Richy03994
    United Kingdom5 years ago
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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality, diverse guest mix keeps the content fresh and enlightening.
Guests span academia, activism, and arts with broad perspectives on death.
Beth and Renske bring a thoughtful, humane lens to tough subjects.
Empathy and accessibility stand out in conversations; the topics stay deep yet approachable.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#23
Canada/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts
#176
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#190
United Kingdom/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts
#243
Germany/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts
#6
Ukraine/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts
#33
Israel/Science/Social Sciences

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ruth E. Toulson on the necropolitics of the ordinary, dying and death in Singapore, anthropology, burials, funeral directors and morticians
Q: Why focus on Singapore and the idea of necropolitics within ordinary death rituals?
Singapore's deathscape demonstrates how state policy, modernization, and rapid social transformation shape everyday rituals, causing grief, memory, and ritual belief to intersect in nuanced ways beyond violence, demonstrating necropolitics at the level of ordinary life.
Ruth E. Toulson on the necropolitics of the ordinary, dying and death in Singapore, anthropology, burials, funeral directors and morticians
Q: How did you condense decades of fieldwork into this book, and how do the roles of anthropologist and mortician intersect in your approach?
The work spans years, with fieldwork beginning in 2012 and ongoing observations across cemeteries, crematoriums, and funeral parlors, blending long-term ethnography with hands-on mortuary experience to trace how death rituals respond to policy and social change.
Cole Imperi on grief, thanatology, shadow loss, and non-clinical tools in support of those experiencing loss and grief
Q: How can non-clinical tools be incorporated into grief support?
Non-clinical tools like gardening, cooking, beading, and other personal rituals can complement clinical care by offering accessible, culturally resonant forms of support. They help validate experiences, provide coping strategies, and can be practiced independently or with community support, broadening the toolkit beyond traditional therapy.
Cole Imperi on grief, thanatology, shadow loss, and non-clinical tools in support of those experiencing loss and grief
Q: What is shadow loss and why did you develop this term?
Shadow loss describes losses that are not the death of a person but still profoundly transform a person's life, such as losing a social network or job. Imperi developed this term to provide a language that resonates with everyday experiences and to avoid over-reliance on clinical jargon when supporting non-clinical grief work.
Cole Imperi on grief, thanatology, shadow loss, and non-clinical tools in support of those experiencing loss and grief
Q: Can you tell us a bit about what Thanatology is and how it differs from Death Studies?
Thanatology, as described by Imperi, is the practical, applied study of death, dying, and grief, with a strong emphasis on non-clinical and community-centered approaches alongside clinical and academic perspectives. Death Studies shares overlaps but is broader and includes diverse voices and cultural contexts; the two terms are not identical, though they inform each other.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Death Studies Podcast

What is The Death Studies Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful exploration of death studies through interdisciplinary conversations with scholars, clinicians, artists, and public-facing practitioners. Episodes balance scholarly rigor with accessible storytelling, covering poetry, grief, ritual, public history, and social justice as they intersect with death, dying, and bereavement. Noteworthy is the emphasis on lived experience, ethics of researching sensitive topics, and innovative methods for public engagement—from poetry and ephemera to walking tours and community rituals. The show often features cross-disciplinary guests and a clear commitment to demystifying difficult topics while foregrounding human stories and care practices, making it a compelling resource for researchers, educator... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Death Studies Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Death Studies Podcast:

1. Tara Brach
2. Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
3. Modern Love
4. The Rest Is Entertainment
5. Good Hang with Amy Poehler

How many episodes of The Death Studies Podcast are there?

The Death Studies Podcast launched 5 years ago and published 69 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Death Studies Podcast?

Recent guests on The Death Studies Podcast include:

1. Jane McCarthy
2. Joanna Stalnaker
3. JT Welsch
4. Janine Faulkner
5. Helen Frisby
6. Pam Locke
7. Jo Parsons
8. Andrew Griffiths

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