A very warm welcome, Graham! So pleased you found us! X

Love this @Sophie Hickingbotham ! So glad you’re feeling inspired - that’s exactly what it’s for. Such a great question and one worth unpacking a little. Death Café has a specific model - free, no agenda, open to anyone, tea and cake. If you’re working within that model it needs to stay true to those principles. But what you’re describing - a Death Dinner Party - is actually something different and something wonderful. It has its own lineage too. There’s a concept called “Death Over Dinner” that has been running globally for years - worth looking up if you haven’t already - some of the websites are expired but there’s still some articles and resources that may be helpful. But I’d encourage you to listen to how it’s emerging through you & make it your own for your community. We’ve actually used the ‘Death Over Dinner’ concept ourselves as a way to soundboard ideas and help curate larger Death Literacy community events. And I have friends who have hosted community dinner parties where each person brings a plate to honour someone who has died - their famous recipe, their signature dish - and the table becomes a jumbled potluck of food and stories and grief. It’s one of my favourite formats. The intimate dinner does something Death Café doesn’t always do - it creates a contained, curated space where conversation can go deeper because the group is smaller and the setting is more intentional. Six to eight people around a table sharing a meal is an ancient human ritual. Adding death to the conversation feels less radical in that context than you’d think. I fully support you and this idea - make it completely your own. A few things worth getting clear on as you shape it: is it more grief focused or death planning focused? What resources or pre-reading might you offer guests? how/would you curate the guest list? Or is it more informal - a local restaurant, tables reserved, talking points scattered across the table? ‘The Death Deck’ is wonderful for exactly that kind of setting.

@Johanna Risse https://thedeathdeck.com/ The E•O•L (End of Life) Deck is a tool used by families, caregivers, and healthcare providers to help facilitate conversations about end-of-life wishes.