This talk was commissioned by BBC Radio 4 for Lent 2022, and was first broadcast on 6th April 2022. The BBC and I both received very positive feedback about this short response to a verse from Matthew’s Gospel: ‘I was sick and you cared for me.’

It’s no longer available on BBC Sounds, and the BBC has kindly sent me a copy to upload here. Thanks to everyone who sent feedback, and to those who requested a way to listen again. Happy to oblige.

From the BBC Sounds website:

The pandemic has raised the bar around our fear of death and dying, and how we approach death and dying is as important as how we are birthed. Kathryn Mannix talks about why the contemplation of one’s own death is a complex affair, and how when people are asked about their mortality, they are able and willing to answer, and when they share that burden they often discover, from within themselves, new insights and ideas that help them to cope.

She shares some of those insights from her book, With the End in Mind. We hear about Vronnie’s story, and how she faced dying, and leaving her daughter alone, and how she prepared for that. When I read Vronnie’s story the first time, it made me reflect deeply on my own Mother’s death, and has stayed with me. It will stay with you too.

While facing death can make us fearful, learning how to prepare for it, and hold ‘the end in mind’, can also take away some of the fear.

This is a special episode with a master storyteller.

15 March 2021 • 56mins

Kathryn Mannix Author of With The End in Mind: Dying Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial

15 February 2018 • 26mins

Dr Kathryn Mannix spent her career as a Palliative Care Physician, helping people through their final days. In 2017 she wrote the best-selling book ‘With The End in Mind’ and is passionate about getting us all talking about death and the idea of dying well.

27 April 2020 • 21mins

Following on from her hugely successful book ‘With the End in Mind’, Dr Kathryn Mannix has now written a new book called ‘Listen’ she Joined Ray to tell us more.

Oct 2021 • 18mins

In this edition of the podcast, Kathryn Mannix, former palliative care doctor, joins Fi and Jane to discuss death and dying. Kathryn talks about what we might expect in end of life, how to discuss death with others and her experiences of treating people who are dying. The three of them also respond to listeners who have shared their perspectives and reflections over email. Before Kathryn’s arrival, Jane is subject to double embarrassments and Fi remembers an unfortunate playground dash.

Dr. Kathryn Mannix opens her new book with the sentence, “I can’t find the right words.” It captures that awkward moment before you start a challenging conversation, yet feel overwhelmed at the task.

26mins