When the Grim Reaper comes a-calling would you be ready to head out with them? Would your loved ones be ready to let you leave? A first-of-its-kind Death Literacy Festival titled Good To Go will take place at the Bangalore International Centre this weekend.

Given that the theme is often considered morbid rather than festive, the event jointly organised by Pallium India and the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy in Bengaluru, aims to educate and bring awareness about end-of-life choices that will not seem overwhelming if one is prepared.

“Death is pretty much the last mystery, but recoiling from it or presuming it is going to be a difficult conversation, prevents people from handling important issues such as planning for one’s choices, preferences and values,” says Smriti Rana, head of Strategic Programs and Partnerships, Pallium India.

“By depriving ourselves of these conversations, we give up a chance to bring closure, not just to ourselves, but our families as well,” she adds.

Images by Good To Go Death Literacy Festival
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement 

Though the idea of ‘death literacy’, may seem distasteful to many, Smriti says it is about “equipping ourselves with the knowledge and skills needed to make crucial decisions regarding our preferences and values, especially at the end of life.”

She goes on to add that, “one of the biggest causes of financial toxicity in the country today is out-of-pocket health expenditure,” and how many families are one hospital bill away from poverty. As a result, the repercussions can be manifold — from multi-generational debt to the education of children going awry.

Having seen several similar instances in a career spanning over 25 years in palliative care, Smriti and other like-minded people informally created a collective for advanced care planning in February 2023. The collective comprises people from backgrounds in medicine, public health, palliative care, and those with lived experiences.

They realised that for many, terms such as living will, dignity in death, palliative care and euthanasia are confusing and are often misunderstood as being synonymous. Among its many initiatives, Good To Go aims at clarifying this vocabulary so people understand these written terminologies.

Images by Good To Go Death Literacy Festival
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement 

According to Smriti, this festival has something for everyone — children and pet parents included — with music, performance art, workshops, films, a book stall and other immersive activities.

“The more people we speak with, we find there is an appetite for this conversation, but many don’t know how to approach it. There is no one way to talk about it just as there is no one way to grieve. Our idea was to start the dialogue.”

Smriti says the team felt it important that children were a part of the program. “A lot of people feel children have to be protected from these difficult subjects, but if they do not develop the skills to cope, it often takes the form of rebellion or neglecting their studies or substance abuse.”

The workshop for children is geared towards those between 10 and 16 years, with age-appropriate activities. “Wherever we work with children, they surprise us. That is when you realise how much they know, but do not have the avenue to express it,” says Smriti.

Good To Go Death Literacy Festival will be held at Bangalore International Centre on August 23 and 24. Full schedule of events on Instagram at @goodtogo_deathliteracy