By Gary Dickson garydickson@siouxlandobserver.com

Talking about death won’t actually kill you.

The Death Cafe is a great way to start the difficult conversation about death and dying. And you have an inclusive, informal and friendly opportunity to explore our relationship with death and normalize important conversations about it at the Vermillion Public Library, 25 Center Street. This informational gathering runs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27 in the library’s Kozak Room.

The Death Cafe was founded by Jon Underwood in London in 2011, based on the work of Bernard Crettaz. Lizzy Miles introduced Death Cafe in the U.S. According to the group’s website — https://deathcafe.com — their stated objective is to “increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives”.

Death Cafes have spread quickly across Europe, North America and Australasia. Currently, 16,905 Death Cafes in 85 countries have been offered since September 2011.

A Death Cafe utilizes group discussion of death without an agenda, objectives or themes. It is not a grief support group, therapy group or counseling group. It is solely a discussion group.

All Death Cafes are held on a not-for-profit basis. They are held in an accessible, respectful and confidential space. There is no intention of leading people to any conclusion, product or course of action in the discussion.

If you have any questions regarding the Vermillion Death Cafe, call the Vermillion Public Library at (605) 677-7050.