A date for the diary and more

We have set a date for the book launch; 17 July at the Albion Beatnik Bookstore, Walton Street, Oxford.

I include here a dialogue with Lucie, from the store, who is helping me with the creation and management of the event.

I feel very positive about launching the book from the bookstore.

It has a very convivial feel to it.

Rare these days

I have now confirmed that Sam Turner (Director of public engagement) is the person to deal with from Dying Matters 

She is on leave till 11 June

Lucie: That's fine, as I said, I shall be on my email most of my holiday, so you can email me when she replies to you.

 

She was very interested in my work when I spoke with her.

Just a bit problematic having to wait till you are on holiday for a reply from her.

I attach a pdf which has very small but perfectly formed versions of the pictures in colour.

I have  many contacts to talk to from psychology, therapy, poetry and art.

Lucie: It would be great if you could contact them and ask them either to participate on the programme or just to come to the event and join the discussion or even just to 'make the crowd'.

You should start thinking about the programme and once you have a rough idea, contact the relevant people who can contribute.

I would suggest three main 'segments':

1) an introduction to death as part of our lives - this bit could be done by one of you contacts (Sam Turner?) and can open the evening. I am sure that those people will know how to deal with it. This will naturally lead to the following bit.

2) talk about the main aim of your book, the message for other people, about your wife or maybe your current life after she's gone (? just an idea). It can be finished with short reading from your book.

3) the last part could be moderated by another person from your contacts, some artist, therapist (?), who can start the discussion - maybe first as a dialogue with you (having 2 or 3 questions prepared and you having your answers prepared at least partly) and then with the audience. This depends on the audience and the atmosphere, they might or might not be warm enough, so best would be if you have more questions and answers prepared in advance in case it didn't work well.

The first two parts shouldn't be longer than 10-15 minutes, the shorter you prepare it the better, as we can save more time for discussion and questions from the audience.

Also it's better to say at the beginning that questions should be left for the discussion, otherwise it can lead to a chaotic interruptions of your talk which you might not be able to handle to meet the timing. It's up to you.

That's all from me for now. Think about it and keep in touch.

If anyone wants to comment on the blog, please feel welcome to do so .

 

Joining "Dying Matters"

<a href="http://www.dyingmatters.org/" _mce_href="http://www.dyingmatters.org/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.dyingmatters.org/images/DyingMatters468x60.jpg" _mce_src="http://www.dyingmatters.org/images/DyingMatters468x60.jpg" border="0" alt="Visit the Dying Matters website" /></a>

This looks like a great organisation for all of us who are concerned with death, dying, and bereavement.

I will add more information as I learn more about who they are and what they really do.

A warm welcome to my weblog

Thank you for stopping by.

It is time to start writing again. I have finally published my book, "A Journey Through Grief", which you can buy for £10 = £2 postage and packing from my website

www.nickowenphotography.co.uk.

This blog is about the next steps. It will be three years since Gill's death on June 12th 2012.

I am organising the book launch. Sometimes I have thought that I would never be ready to move on. Whenever I spoke about the dying or the death so much emotion welled up that I became lost in it.

It isn't that all the feelings have gone. It is only that I am no longer consumed with the grief of that time.

At last I can get on with the rest of my life.

I have thought for a long time that I would one day make a significant contribution to the field of death and dying.

 I worked for the Oxfordshire Befriending Network supervising their counsellor group for a while.
Just when I was really engaged with the process the organisation lost its funding, and Gill died.

Now it is time to make a go of it at the second attempt, starting with the launch of the book.

I am meeting with people at the Oxford Albion Beatnik Book shop tomorrow. I hope to be able to announce a book launch date very soon.

That process begins with a curious question, which I was asked by Luce at the book shop;

"Have you forgiven Gill yet."

I have never thought that I needed to forgive Gill.

Yet her decision to go on drinking when she was likely to die fairly soon if she did not stop, leaving behind two sons and a devoted husband might lead many to think that there was a lot to forgive.

Some of the answers to this question are in my book.

But I shall ponder on it and comment again here.

Meanwhile I will talk to the Dying matters people about sharing the launch pad with me.


 http://www.dyingmatters.org/ 

Gill and I at our wedding, affirming life. Now she affirms my work around death and dying.