Grave Matters
By SBS
While death may be one of life’s only certainties, most of us are woefully unprepared for it. In Grave Matters, hosts Anthony Levin and Nadine J. Cohen explore grief, death care and the business of dying, asking experts the questions we’re all too scared to ask. You’ll hear from a forensic scientist, a First Nations grief counsellor, a Muslim death doula, a tech innovator, funeral director and other inspiring, passionate people whose life's work is helping us to better navigate death. Lift your spirits with Grave Matters: a lively look at death.
Latest episode
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Ray of light: Ray Martin ponders death & the afterlife
American broadcaster Diane Sawyer once said that a good journalist follows their curiosity like a cat. If the adage is true, then Ray Martin has nine lives. At age 79, and with five Gold Logies on the mantle, Ray has finally turned his attention to w… -
Saying Fur-well: Pets, Vets & the Afterlife
We're back with a special bonus episode to cap off the series. We’ve spent the season exploring the myriad ways we respond to people dying and what it means to have a good death. But what does this mean for our pets? It turns out losing a furry frien… -
Everybody Dies: Ben Lee on Life, Death, and Ayahuasca, Baby
You may know him as the singer songwriter behind worldwide hits including Catch My Disease and We’re All In This Together. But there’s more to Ben Lee than clever lyrics and catchy hooks. Why is he on a podcast about death and dying? Good question. -
No Planet B: Coming to Terms with Climate Collapse
Would you live your life differently if you thought humanity was doomed? You don’t have to be a nihilist to wonder whether we can survive the climate crisis. We find hope where it seems there is none and examine the idea of dying well, together. We f… -
Trauma’s Children: Life in the shadow of massive loss
We inherit many things from our families - heirlooms, habits, humour. But what about psychological wounds? In this episode, we discuss epigenetics, intergenerational trauma and how collective memory helps us work through catastrophic loss with Linda … -
Rise of the Death Robots: Will Death Tech change the way we die?
In this Golden Age of Innovation, we’re accustomed to making room for new technologies in daily life. But what about when we die? It turns out that breakthroughs like AI, empathic robots and ‘smart’ memorial plaques are disrupting the deathcare secto… -
Weird Science: How Chemistry is Helping One Woman Solve Crimes
You know how in TV crime shows, the police can always pinpoint a body’s exact time of death? Well, it seems we’ve been lied to. Forensic science hasn’t advanced quite far enough for such accuracy. But one facility in Sydney is working hard to change … -
21st-Century Plague: Has COVID-19 Changed Us Forever?
How has coronavirus changed our experience and perceptions of dying? We look at some of the socio-political implications of the pandemic and whether it will have lasting impacts on how we mourn and dispose of the dead. -
Panning for Gold: A Death Doula’s Guide to Living and Dying
We introduced you to the concept of death doulas in the first episode of Grave Matters. But what do they actually do? We asked Sarah Tolmie, consummate death doula and possibly the nicest woman in the world, about the specifics of doula work. -
Hospitals and Hijabs: One Woman’s Mission to Raise Death Literacy in Her Community
Have you had a near-death experience? Was there a bright light? A shadowy figure? Did your life flash before your eyes? A terrifying near-death experience changed Mariam Ardati’s whole perspective and led her to her life’s great purpose - educating h…
