Call for submissions

Genre: Creative non-fiction

What: Short to medium length pieces (2,000 to 4,000 words approximately) on end-of-life experiences. We’re looking for a rich mix of stories: those that illustrate what it means to die a “good death” as well as those that highlight some of the ways in which our health-care system is failing the dying.

Where: This blog. View the previous post, Janet Dies at Home, for an example of the kind of piece we’re looking for.

When: We’re hoping to post one story a week, between now and April 2016, when Conversations On Dying launches. If there is sufficient material and interest we may well continue to publish pieces after launch too.

Why: The aim is to contribute to the discussion on how we treat the dying in Canada in the 21st Century. Between 70 percent and 86 percent of Canadians die without access to palliative care, and despite two decades of lobbying and research Canada is still without a federal palliative care strategy. Personal stories can impact the debate by drawing human stories out of the statistics.

How: Contact Phil Dwyer at phil.dwyer@sympatico.ca to pitch a story.