Reading Death Cafe

Reading Death Cafe is back at RISC World Shop and Global Refills on Wednesday 4 November, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. If you've never come across one before, the premise is simple: people gather to drink tea, eat cake and talk about death and dying. The idea is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their finite lives.

It's worth getting the format straight from the off, because it's not what some might assume. A Death Cafe is a discussion group rather than a bereavement or grief support group. It's not a place for therapy or professional advice, and it's not a wake. Instead, it's just a space to talk about something we all face but rarely bring up in normal conversation. There's no set agenda and no particular aim to the night, so the conversation goes wherever it takes you.

The Reading edition is run by the Reading Death Collective, who describe the gathering as open, honest, friendly and informal. That's a good way to put it — it's a low-pressure environment where you can share as much or as little as you like, and you don't need any prior experience or a particular reason for wanting to talk about death to join in.

It all happens at RISC World Shop and Global Refills, 35-39 London Street, Reading RG1 4PS, on Wednesday 4 November from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Entry is free.