Molly Conisbee

"By introducing us to the hidden histories of those who perished in obscurity, Conisbee provides fascinating glimpses of attitudes to death through the ages" Catharine Arnold, author of Necropolis: London and Its Dead

"A rich and moving history of our changing relationship to one of life's few certainties: death. Molly Conisbee is a sensitive and empathic guide as she encourages us to look to the past to deepen our understanding of loss and grief. A captivating read" Chris Pearson, author of Collared

"A fascinating and moving account of the ways, over the last 500 years, people have prepared for death, and grieved and mourned for those who have already made that final journey" Edward Parnell, author Ghostland

How did ordinary people depart this life and grieve for loved ones - and which of the old ways might help us prepare for the end? Join us for an evening with Molly Conisbee for an enriching dive into the history of death, in the name of making us feel more connected with the living.

Our ancestors, living closer to death than we do, had a more intimate and integrated relationship with death as a familiar presence in daily life. From the death-watchers of the Middle Ages to the pomp of Victorian funeral wear, by way of plague pits, grave-robberies and wakes, historian and bereavement counsellor Molly Conisbee explores how cycles of dying, death and disposal have shaped - and been shaped by - society. She examines, through the prism of past deaths, their interweaving with our beliefs and politics, our most fervent hopes and deepest fears and, ultimately, what it means to 'die well'. A groundbreaking new work of social history, No Ordinary Deaths paints a rich picture of the lives of our forebears, skilfully bringing the lost art of death to life today.

Molly Conisbee is a social historian and visiting research fellow at the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath. She has a PhD from the University of Bristol and has spent the last ten years researching the social history of death and mourning. Conisbee is also a bereavement counsellor, has curated walks on the history of death around the country and has written for the Guardian and Ecologist.