Grief & Death Panel Discussion with Five Authors

Five authors who have written about grief and death discuss their experiences. With Alison Jean Lester, David E Jones, John Adams, Debbie Enever and Kossim Osseni and moderated by Pam Daniel.

Meet the Authors:

Kossim Osseni
Kossim is a performer, writer and all around creative, originally from Benin & Nigeria in West Africa. He spent most of his life in America where he trained as a financier, before getting into the Entertainment industry and subsequently moving to the UK. He holds an MFA from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre, has performed on stage, screen, in animation, on radio and has written children books, films and short plays. Kossim is delighted to join this panel. His book is called “Draw Me Close to You”; Tunde loves art, but his demanding father has higher expectations of him. As the family deals with a loss, they reassess their priorities and reinforce their bond. Draw Me Close to you is a heartwarming story about loss, love, communication and acceptance between parents and their children.

Alison Jean Lester
Alison Jean Lester’s memoir, Absolutely Delicious: A Chronicle of Extraordinary Dying, describes the roads leading to her mother’s decision to forego treatments that might have prolonged her life, but also might have ruined her death. The book also describes her father’s choice of VSED (voluntarily stopping eating and drinking) when he was suffering from motor neurone disease. Alison is the author of four novels, a collection of short stories, another of essays, and several self-help books on communication skills. She lives in Worcestershire.

David Jones
David Jones is an Author, a Soul Doula, a public speaker, and a life skills tutor at a special educational needs college. He aims to empower as many people as he can surrounding multiple topics, but one which is particularly close to his heart, is death! He aims to help us cast fear aside and have those awkward conversations with family which will ultimately galvanise and empower our loved ones when it comes to the end of life, and in times of grief. Death has been David's greatest teacher, as he will share with you. His book is called The Awakening of Death.

Debbie Enever
Debbie Enever is a graduate of the university of Manchester’s Creative Writing MA. Her debut work – Midowed – was long listed for the Bridport Memoir Prize 2022.

When Debbie’s 15-year-old son Dan was killed by a speeding driver in May 2018, her world fell apart. Turning to the solitude of memories and the company of her dog, Debbie penned a journal to help cope with sorrow. Midowed combines these journal entries with a reflection on Dan’s brilliant life, bringing him to life on the page, his voice never far away. Exploring parenthood, friendships, organ donation and finding unexpected love, Midowed celebrates the joyous bond between a mother and son.
Debbie describes herself as a Northern nomad having grown up and lived mainly around Glossop and Manchester, with stints in West and South Yorkshire. She currently lives in Sheffield with her partner and dog. In 2024 Debbie will also be launching the Bereaved Parents’ Club podcast which seeks to share stories and offer support and advice to those navigating the devastating world of child loss.

John Adams
John joins the authors panel to discuss his book, co-written by Clare Shaw, ‘Don’t Tell The Children’. This book is all around the wider mission John has on in enabling society have important conversations. The book is based on the work John has done as a fourth generation funeral director, Funeral industry advisor to Child Bereavement UK and also from his own experiences from the loss of his own Mum, Maria – he has a clear vision on how we can make the whole experience of death, dying and bereavement that bit better, and co-author Clare Shaw has helped in providing this excellent new vehicle to unlock the secrets to moving forward with your grief.

The session will be moderated by Pam Daniel:
Pam is a Coach and Mentor, facilitator and public speaker. Pam is also working for Voluntary Action Sheffield, leading on a project to support more meaningful and influential engagement of leaders from Black, Asian and Ethnic minority communities in city leadership opportunities. Pam is Chair of Sheffield Poverty Truth and worked with Health Watch Sheffield in the compilation of the End Of Life Services report. Pam has years of experience of working with diverse communities and is passionate about getting communities talking about death and loss. Pam has supported the Compassionate Sheffield Movement from the very beginning.

Sheffield Life, Loss and Death Festival
This event is being delivered as part of the Sheffield Life, Loss and Death Festival. There are over 40 more free events taking place across Sheffield during the month-long festival in May 2024. You're very welcome to attend more of these events; there's a wide range of themes, workshops, training, creative sessions, death cafes, open mic, exhibitions, talks and more, all taking place across Sheffield and online. Please find all events, details, and links to book your free tickets, by visiting Compassionate Sheffield’s festival webpage here:
https://www.compassionate-sheffield.co.uk/life-loss-and-death-festival