On Death and Dying
(On Life and Living)
with Stephen Jenkinson

It’s with a tremble that I present to you the first ever Campfire Stories Podcast episode. The guest is Stephen Jenkinson: one of the biggest, if not the biggest, source of inspiration for me when it comes to transitioning into the kind of world I’d like to hand over to my children. Reading his book “Die Wise” made me see death in a whole new way. And in so doing, it also made me appreciate life in a whole new way.

Stephen is an activist, teacher, author and farmer. He has a master’s degree in theology from Harvard University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Toronto. He worked for many years in what he refers to as the “death trade” (palliative care) at a hospital in Canada, and has guided hundreds, maybe thousands of people through their dying times.

When I heard Stephen was coming to Europe with his “Nights of Grief and Mystery” tour – a mix between storytelling and concert – I immediately booked a ticket. The day after attending the show in Portsmouth on the southern coast of England, I was fortunate enough to get the chance to meet and interview him. 

This podcast explores something as unfashionable as “the adult mystery of deep living” (one of many yellow-marked sentences in my copy of “Die Wise”). Watch a trailer below. Listen to the pod above.

Update: I’ve made a followup interview with Stephen Jenkinson, titled The rest of the Questions.

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If you’re curious about how I made it to the UK from Stockholm by train, and want to hear of some of the adventures along the way, check out this blog post, where I pay proper respects to the Gods of Trains and Timetables.

If you want to find out more about Stephen Jenkinson, or maybe would even like to attend his “Orphan Wisdom School” at his farm in Canada, please visit his website.

And if you’d like to attend a Night of Grief and Mystery, check above mentioned website for dates and locations. Here’s a trailer for the show.