What are Death Cafes?
Death is a difficult topic of conversation for many. However, there is a growing movement towards fostering a more open conversational culture around it. Death Cafe is perhaps the best-known force in this movement.
Death Cafes bring people together in coffee shops, libraries and other comfortable places to engage in conversations about death and dying over tasty refreshments.
Founded by Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid in the UK in 2011, Death Cafe is a global movement, with gatherings held in more than 80 countries. They provide a safe space to talk about death and dying, which, in Underwood’s view, “helps people make the most of their (finite) lives.”
If you would like to explore the topic of death in a comfortable social setting, consider participating in a Death Cafes near you. Better yet, host a Death Cafe in your community to open the door to talking about death and dying with the people around you.
To find out what people appreciate about Death Cafes, watch our video A Safe Place To Talk About Death: Death Cafes in Alberta.
Attend a Death Cafe
Death Cafe events are held regularly across Alberta. Current venues include the following:
- Devon: Devon Public Library (currently on hold)
- Edmonton: Death Cafe Edmonton
- Grande Prairie: Grande Prairie Public Library
- Peace River: Peace Valley Funeral Home
- Wetaskiwin: Peace Hills Hospice Society
To find other Death Cafes near you, visit the Death Cafe website.
Facilitate a Death Cafe
Interested in facilitating a Death Cafe? Here's how to get started:
- Read our report on Death Cafes in Alberta. This report summarizes research on Death Cafes and shares findings from a survey and focus groups we conducted with Alberta facilitators.
- Watch our ECHO session Introducing Death Cafe: Facilitating Conversations about Death Over Coffee, Tea and Cake.
- Access the Death Cafe Facilitator Guide for step-by-step instructions.
- Join our Facebook group for Alberta Death Cafe facilitators to connect with a community of facilitators.
- Contact us for additional support.
Do you already facilitate Death Cafes in Alberta? We'd love to hear from you. Please contact us to add your Death Cafe to our event listing and join our Facebook group to access additional resources, meet fellow facilitators and support one another.
Our community
We are thankful to the many people who have assisted us in assembling and promoting Death Cafe resources, including the members of our Death Cafe Working Group.
Trying to generate conversations?
My name is Olga and I'm an end-of-life doula. Part of my role is helping families and individuals have frank conversations about death and dying, and I'm always looking for new resources to help generate interest. Tell me more.