MORTAL

Grief expert Julia Samuel: ‘Have the conversations well before anyone is ill’ - Why We Need to Talk about Death

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:45:00 GMT

Gabriella is joined by psychotherapist, author and grief expert Julia Samuel MBE. She is the founder / patron of Child Bereavement UK and the author of best selling books: Grief Works, This Too Shall Pass and Every Family Tells a Story. In 2015 Julia received an MBE for her services to bereaved children.

Gabriella and Julia discuss growing up with an awareness of loss before they understood it, the role of 'forget and move on’ in our cultural history as well as the non linear process of grief, its role in our lives, and why the love and support of others is so crucial when we are suffering.

Julia speaks about the importance of having conversations within families before people are ill, and why we need to be courageous in connecting with people who are dying and grieving.

We hope you enjoy the episode🦋

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Content note: MORTAL contains conversations around death, bereavement and loss 🕊️

Mentions & Links

Julia’s website which includes details of her books and other resources & support: https://www.juliasamuel.co.uk

For signposting to support for any of the topics covered in this episode 🌀 https://linktr.ee/MortalPodcast

👉🏽 Instagram @themortalpodcast

👉🏽TikTok @mortalpod

👉🏽 YouTube @mortal-pod

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Producers: Gabriella Wilde & Olivia Percival

Editors: Olivia Percival & Alexandra Quinn

Music composed by Robert Logan

Comms: Jordan Maxwell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce Parry: Ancestors, Belonging and Speaking to our Dead

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Gabriella speaks with filmmaker and author Bruce Parry who has travelled all over the world to live with indigenous communities. In this episode Bruce shares what he's learned from cultures with a very different relationship to death; specifically a community in Sumba, Indonesia who live amongst the tombs of their dead and who continue to have a strong reciprocal relationship with their ancestors.

Gabriella and Bruce explore belonging, fear of death, why living in community is important as we age, as well as Bruce’s admission that as a result of his experiences he has begun to talk directly to his loved ones who have died.

We hope you enjoy the first episode 🦋

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Mentioned in this episode:

Die Wise by Stephen Jenkinson

Bruce’s Marapu BBC Tribe Episode

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👉🏽 Instagram @themortalpodcast

👉🏽 YouTube @mortal-pod

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Producers: Gabriella Wilde & Olivia Percival

Editors: Olivia Percival & Alexandra Quinn

Music composed by Robert Logan

Comms: Jordan Maxwell

You can contact MORTAL on info@mortalpodcast.com

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🌀Signposting to support

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to MORTAL

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:44:07 GMT

MORTAL is a new podcast hosted by Gabriella Wilde, exploring mortality, grief and our relationship with the dead.

Launching Autumn 2026.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.