I recently got a mug from Academic Mug that says 'I should have said no'. Currently my favourite ❤️ I'd recommend the site if you're looking for an academia-related gift ahead of the holidays www.academicmug.com

Did you know that @openuniversity.bsky.social currently works in over 150 prisons and supports around 2000 students a year in prison, secure units and under licence in the community? Higher education changes lives. See more of the work The Open University are doing⬇️ www.open.ac.uk/blogs/news/b...

Our book Critical Approaches to death,dying and bereavement is part of the Routledge Black Friday Sale! @ericaborgstrom.bsky.social 📚💙 www.routledge.com/Critical-App...

In Dumfries today, ready for our event discussing death and dying - looking forward to meeting others there later! Thanks to the OU in Scotland and the University of West Scotland for hosting it.

Do you teach about dying, death, grief, or end of life care? Need some free resources for your class or assignments? We've got lots of great short articles, animations, and interactives you could use on our Open Thanatology Hub on OpenLearn. www.open.edu/openlearn/he... #ThanatologyThursday

A new Open University PhD studentship, inspired by the palliative and end of life care JLA Priorities and associated To Know Dying report, is available. Interested? Contact Katie Davis - [email protected] More details below👇

📢 Reminder: Still time to register! Join us for our webinar: Schools: Supporting Bereaved Students 🗓 Date: Friday 21st of November 🕒 Time: 12:30pm-2pm 👉 Register: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/supporting-bereaved-children-an-open-evening-for-parents-carers-tickets-1794621403929?aff=bluesky #BCAW2025

Ah yes, thank you, pain, for being so intense today that I couldn't finish sentences mid-speech in meetings. Including when responding to direct, simple questions. Grateful for the patience of colleagues in those moments.

Gutted to be missing so many amazing papers and panels at #AAA2025, especially with the theme this year on ghosts and haunting. I've enjoyed reading through the programme abstracts today and reaching out to people about their work.

Interested in doing a funded PhD at the Open University? We have an opportunity to explore what dying well means to people living with dementia. Please see the link below for more information and don't hesitate to get in touch to discuss further! wels.open.ac.uk/sites/wels.o...

It's #ChildrensGriefAwarenessWeek. One of our members (Poppy) has co-authored a new book on this topic - Supporting Bereaved Children in the Primary Classroom: Helping Children Process Death, Grief and Loss. www.amazon.co.uk/Supporting-B...

The volunteers were at Parliament today to hear the government announce that our beautiful memorial is to be made permanent. It was an emotional day, as we have fought so long and hard to ensure that our beloved dead are not forgotten. We are grateful and happy. ❤️

I should not be surprised that after a busy week I'm having a flare-up of pain, but still annoyed it has happened. Thankful today's work meetings are all online so I can sit more comfortably and not have to navigate commuting with pain.

We are now officially the Centre for Open Thanatology at The Open University!!!! Here are a few quotes from the recent announcement of our Centre status from @ericaborgstrom.bsky.social as shared within the Faculty (see thread)...

Considering using the book 'Critical Approaches to Death, Dying & Bereavement' in your course/teaching? You may be eligible for an inspection copy - www.routledge.com/textbooks/ev...

New book coming from the Death and Culture series soon! I'd also recommend it to those who work with museums and/or private collections/archives.

Interested in doing a PhD? The OU is currently advertising its Grand Union ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership Studentships. Closing date is noon on Jan 7th 2026. Find out more: university.open.ac.uk/employment/g...

If you're local to Dumfries, join us on Nov 25th to discuss death and grief. Tickets are free but registration is required. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/opening-co...

Get your own copy here: www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/1...

Lovely review of the book @ericaborgstrom.bsky.social and I wrote 💙📚 www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Enabling parents to improve children’s services: Walking the Walk in Evelina London Children’s Hospital www.open.edu/openlearn/en... #ThanatologyThursday

And if you want to find resources by Open Thanatology members, you can browse ORO and refine by 'Open Thanatology'

Still time to register for an in-person evening of conversation about death and dying in Dumfries on Nov 25th - looking forward to meeting some of you there! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/opening-co...

New short article out now! -- Between life and death: what Halloween reveals about our fear of the afterlife -- www.open.edu/openlearn/he...

Thrilled to say I'm a judge for the first ever Inspiring History Teaching Awards, in association with Historic Royal Palaces. Do you know a great history teacher in the UK who deserves to go down in history? Nominate them here bit.ly/42yhGZP

One of the things I really love about my job is getting to see people's work develop and be shared 😍 The considered thinking, creative ideas, and navigating ways to understand the world.

Yesterday's post included my editor's copy of the latest book in the Death and Culture series for Bristol Univeristy Press. Life and Death in Latin American Cities -The Necropolis at Stake by Christien Klaufus. Informed by her many years of fieldwork in several countries.

Researching a legal moment that was supposed to change everything - whether it did or not? The call for papers for 'Moments of Rupture' is open until 23 October! Free, online conference in November, hosted by the Open Universities legal histories research cluster. #LegalHistory #cfp

Still time to register for an in-person evening of conversation about death and dying in Dumfries on Nov 25th - looking forward to meeting some of you there! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/opening-co...

New podcast episode where I talk about what's going on with mortality in the US A wide-ranging discussion of what happened before the pandemic & what's happened since then; racial disparities and how to get our heads around their scope; why things might be going so badly for Millennials & Gen Zers

Join us for our next event... Communication Challenges and Pathways in Palliative Care 🗓️30 October ⏰11:00 - 13:00 (UK time) 💬Dr Andrea Bruun and Dr Kathryn Radley pcrs.org.uk/events/oct-w... FREE for PCRS Members!

Still some time to register and find out how to do a doctoral degree with at The Open University in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (which hosts Open Thanatology). More details below.

Re-live DDD17 through our special conference episode! The episode includes a myriad of soundbites from attendees including @ericaborgstrom.bsky.social @lucyhyde.bsky.social @katewoody.bsky.social @hoodcp.bsky.social and many more! @ddd17-2025.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/2AX2...

Want to do a doctoral degree with us? Join a postgraduate open day to learn about the different degree opportunities, funding, and how to apply. Next one: 16th October 2025 (10-15.30 UK time - Online via MS Teams) Register via email to [email protected]

If you write professionally in the UK, make sure to sign up to ALCS for your fair share of royalties

Today is the day! You can catch Disease X on #BBC2 at 9 pm or iPlayer from this morning. Watch as Chris Van Tulleken investigates the next possible #pandemic and I make an appearance talking about #risk and #decision-making. Shout out to Prof Christophe Fraser who did the modelling!

To accompany the OU-BBC co-produced segment on Morning Live about music at the end of life, check out the further resources on OU Connect connect.open.ac.uk/health-wellb...

Watching Morning Live on BBC One this morning? You'll see our Dr Sam Murphy on there talking about palliative care and music playlists. If you can't watch it live, if you live in the UK you'll be able to catch it on iPlayer from later today. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

🚨🚨🚨The CfP for the 2025 BSA #Death, #Dying and #Bereavement symposium is now open! This year's theme is #Care and #Caring, and the University of Nottingham is hosting us. Please submit your abstracts by Tuesday 30th September to [email protected]. We're looking forward to reading them!

At #MedSoc2025 several other presentations referenced this paper from my colleagues and I about not intervening as a form of care, especially in relation to end of life. Exciting to see how people are using and moving the ideas forward! anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Are you interested in death, dying, loss, grief, and related topics, from historical studies to current issues? Then I'd recommend following @openthanatology.bsky.social and keeping an eye out for resources it shares.

Back from #MedSoc2025 and head still buzzing. Some great talks on co-production, crip time and research, chronic illness and the workplace. After missing the conference for years, I'm glad I could go again.

The kind of #WritingAdvice that make me enjoy writing even more 😀

These are only some of the sympathy cards made by @ddd17-2025.bsky.social conference attendees in Utrecht! Way better than what you'd find in the drugstore card aisle, right? Digital versions are now available for download: www.deadparentswhatnow.com/sympathy-car... #deathpositive #sympathycards

I'll be at this event in November. Would love to see you there if you can join us!

It's a bit before my usual research period, but does anyone have any recommended reading on how the Registration Act 1836 firmed up existing frameworks of death admin?

Registration for our online module - K220 Death, Dying and Bereavement - closes on Sept 11th (for October start). This is an undergraduate degree level course and is 31 weeks long. More info here: www.open.ac.uk/courses/modu...

I'll be at the @britsoci.bsky.social Med Soc conference next week - who else is going? #MedSoc2025

Was asked today to comment on how professionals learn about palliative care, & was struck by how the tensions I wrote about a decade ago still resonate with current trainees. Like how to 'care' but 'not too much' and wanting to still 'fix' something in the face of death. Links to papers in comments

Got a book idea about death or dying? We'd love to hear about it and if it could fit in the Death and Culture series! bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/death-and-cu...