The “Nights of Grief & Mystery” 2023 World Tour

Stephen Jenkinson (right) and Anthony Hoskins (left) have been performing the
“Nights of Grief & Mystery” since 2015.
Credit: orphanwisdom.com

On Sunday, September 17, Vancouverites in British Columbia, Canada, packed the 355-seat York Theatre for an unusual event: “A Night of Grief and Mystery.” There, Stephen Jenkinson – a culture activist and author – joined musician Gregory Hoskins to explore the darker facets of life and death – including child mortality, climate change and unrealized love.

Jenkinson and Hoskins founded Nights of Grief and Mystery in 2015, combining storytelling, song, and ceremony. Jenkinson formerly headed a palliative care counseling team at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and has authored numerous books including “Die Wise.” Jenkinson shared stories with the audience that he described as “love letters,” written in circular, poetic language and laced with meaning. One described how a seven-year-old girl with a terminal illness had attempted to reassure her parents that she’d lived fully. Another held elders accountable for climate change while calling on them to be the best that they could be for whoever will survive in the future.

Jenkinson and Hoskins at the Night of Grief & Mystery in Vancouver, Canada

In between love letters, Hoskins’ haunting vocals filled the room. “Gonna find me a demon in a dark, dark wood,” he sang. “You can’t come with me, though I wish you could.” After this climate change manifesto, he sang “Make me Useful in a War.”

The two-hour show did not include an intermission, allowing the duo to build an atmosphere that grew deeper and more mysterious over time. Together, the audience laughed, cried, sang, and clapped their hands. Attendees included other major figures in trauma and palliative care, such as Gabor Maté, author of “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts,” and, more recently, “The Myth of Normal.”

They duo has toured North America, Europe, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. Jenkinson was also featured in the 2008 documentary, “Griefwalker,” and is widely recognized for his work in death and grief literacy.

Visit Jenkinson’s website, Orphan Wisdom, to purchase tickets in your area.