RUBY WAX TO HEADLINE GOOD GRIEF FESTIVAL (30 + 31 OCT)

We’re back this October with a packed programme of 30 free events. Our ‘virtual festival of love and loss’ will explore the universal human experience of grief through panel discussions, conversations and workshops.

We have 70+ amazing speakers including Ruby Wax; Julia Samuel MBE (This Too Shall Pass, GriefWorks), Robert Macfarlane (The Lost Words, Underland), Sarfraz Manzoor (Blinded by the Light; Newsnight); Kathryn Mannix (With the End in Mind, Listen), Raynor Winn (The Salt Path); Oscar-winning producer Mia Bays; the former Bishop of Edinburgh, Richard Holloway; YouTuber Ryan Arey (ScreenCrush) and actress Isaura Barbé-Brown (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald). 

Talks during the festival will include: Ruby Wax in Conversation with Julia Samuel; The Poetry + Music of Loss with Robert Macfarlane; The Superhero’s Guide to Grief; The Secrets + Lies We Leave Behind; The Dead Parent Club; How Nature Holds us in our Darkest Times; Fright Night: Grief in Horror; The Comfort of the Big Beyond: Grief + Spirituality; How to Have Life Changing Conversations. 

We’ll also have a series of short Grief Chats, curated by The Grief Gang host Amber Jeffrey, bringing together two people with a shared experience of grief to tell their stories including: people from the refugee and LGBTQ communities; two people with learning disabilities; two people who are caring for loved ones with dementia; and women who have been through miscarriage. 

And, for the first time, Good Grief Festival will have a wellbeing area with workshops for those who are going through grief, including breathwork, mindfulness, yoga and sound healing. And there will be a number of Death Cafes hosted by Memorial Woodlands throughout the weekend. 

It’s free to attend all events over the festival weekend. Recordings will also be available to watch on-demand after the festival on The Grief Channel, with closed captioning available. Sign-up to the Grief Channel for just £20 for one year and you will have access to over 150 previous Good Grief events at your fingertips. 

Good Grief is a collaborative event led by the University of Bristol and supported by charity partner Marie Curie. 

Good Grief online events are all free to attend. To sign up click here.