An Evening with the Author of Ashes to Admin and Get Ahead of Being Dead
Free to attend. Booking essential.
Join us at Poetic Endings Kirkdale for an evening with writer and council funeral officer Evie King, whose acclaimed books have brought humour, compassion and humanity to one of life's most overlooked subjects.
Evie has spent almost a decade arranging funerals for people who die without family or money to organise their affairs.
In this thought-provoking and often surprisingly funny talk, she will share stories from behind the scenes of council funerals, explore what these lives can teach us about death, connection and planning ahead, and discuss how a little preparation can make things easier for the people we leave behind.
Expect practical advice, dark humour, compassion and a fresh perspective on one of life's few certainties.
By the end of the evening, it is her hope (and cautious expectation) that you will feel more at ease with the uncertainties of death and eager to make whatever preparations you can to meet them head on.
Following the talk there will be time for questions, conversation and drinks.
Complimentary drinks will be provided by Poetic Endings, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet Evie, purchase copies of Get Ahead of Being Dead, and have their books signed.
Whether you're curious about funerals, interested in planning ahead, or simply enjoy thoughtful conversations about life and death, we'd love you to join us.
About Evie King
Evie King does not exist, but the person who plays her is a council worker and writer. A former stand-up comedian, she has written for The Guardian, New Humanist, BBC Comedy and Viz.
After moving to the seaside and reducing her working hours, she completed her first book, Ashes to Admin, an account of her work arranging council funerals. The book sold more than 10,000 copies, was selected by Stewart Lee for the London Review of Books "One Hundred Books for the Next Twenty Years" collection, and won the 2025 Association for the Study of Death & Society Award for Outstanding and Original Books in Death Studies.
Her second book, Get Ahead of Being Dead, was published in June 2026. She is also an ambassador for the missing persons and cold-case charity Locate International and leads the UK's training programme for council funeral workers.
Date: Thursday 16th July 2026
Venue: Poetic Endings, 161 Kirkdale, London SE26 4QJ
Doors: 6.45pm
Talk: 7.00pm
Tickets: Free but booking essential. Please consider buying a book on the evening to support the author!
Refreshments: Complimentary drinks will be provided.
At Poetic Endings, we believe conversations about death can help us live more fully. We hope you'll join us for this thoughtful, funny and refreshingly honest evening.