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Press Release - 12 September 2005

International conference on death, dying and disposal

Two hundred of the world’s leading experts in death, dying and disposal will meet at a conference at the University of Bath this week to present and discuss their latest research findings.

The gathering, which takes place from 15-18 September, will be by far the largest and most international of the seven conferences on The Social Context of Death, Dying and Disposal held since 1993, reflecting an increasing worldwide interest in how human society deals with mortality.

Topics to be presented at the conference include:

• Changing trends in funerals and memento mori
• Death is the new sex in popular TV
• Roadside memorials to the dead
• Photographing corpses and death art
• Death customs and practices from around the world
• Children and young people and death
• The social (and legal) life of corpses
• Organ retention, donation and trafficking
• Architectural challenges of cemeteries and crematoria

(For more information, see abstract links section). A full list of papers and abstracts are available on the conference website.

An exhibition of work by award-winning Canadian artist Barb Hunt will be taking place in the University Claverton Rooms Foyer whilst the exhibition is going on.

The installation reflects the artist's long-term interest in the rituals that surround death and mourning, particularly those of Newfoundland where she lives. See abstracts page on Photographing corpses and death art.

Accredited members of the media are welcome to attend the conference. To attend, please contact Andrew McLaughlin in the University of Bath Press Office.

The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities, with an international reputation for quality research and teaching. In 16 subject areas the University of Bath is rated in the top ten in the country. View a full list of the University's press releases: http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/releases