BOOK CLUB WITH A DIFFERENCE: Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry | Wednesday 4 March, 7.15pm

Join us for our next BOOK CLUB WITH A DIFFERENCE event, discussing Sarah Perry's beautiful and profound book Death of an Ordinary Man, facilitated by End of Life Doula Karen Parry.

This is not a book about grief: it is a book about dying, the universal aspect of life. And it is a book about family, and care and love. Sarah Perry's father-in-law David died in the autumn of 2022, only nine days after a cancer diagnosis. Until then he'd been a healthy and happy man: he loved stamp collecting, fish and chips, comic novels, his local church, and the Antiques Roadshow. He was in some ways a very ordinary man, but as he began to die, it became clear how extraordinary he was.

At this book club, we'll talk about what we mean by "ordinary", how that is explored in the book, and also how it is contrasted with moments of the extraordinary, going on to talk about the experiences of Sarah, Robert, and David - as well as the community that pulled around them - in David's final days.

The session will be facilitated by Karen Parry who is an End of Life Doula working across the North East. Part of Karen's work involves creating spaces in our communities where open, honest conversations about life, death, grief and loss can take place, bringing those conversations out of the shadows and acknowledging them as ordinary, everyday experiences that we will all have, intrinsic to life itself. Within her work Karen also recognizes the mystery and wonder of death, and the feelings this might awaken in us, supporting people to find ways to talk about their experiences and to normalize those conversations.

Tickets: £3.50 admission only; £17.50 admission + a copy of the book (RRP £18.99)

If you opt for an admission + book ticket, your copy of the book will be available to pick up in person from the shop, ready for you to read ahead