Salon de Morte

The European tradition of Salons was an Italian invention of the 16th Century, which subsequently flourished throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th Century when women invited artists and philosophers for discussion and exchange of ideas to the ‘Salon’ of their home.

Salons played a vital social role throughout history in the communicating, fostering and sharing of information and new ideas. Initially established by women, the salon served not only as a means of self-education and access to information, but as a form of resistance by women against social constraints which restricted their full participation in society. These included access to formal education, to enlightened conversation and to intellectual discourse.

In similar fashion to the historical salon and literary circle, a contemporary salon has come into being serving a similar purpose as its forebears’ have done. In this instance, the salon is also metaphorically represented by the new business entity, “Salon de Morte: A literary collective”.  The salon has a uniquely Australian presence and brings together like-minded people interested in death literacy and spiritual growth and development in contemporary Western society.

Salon de Morte also has a dedicated Facebook and Instagram page curating a monthly book club relating to all things death, dying and the afterlife. In the spirit of the first Salons of Europe and Italy, Salon de Morte serves as a platform to introduce a diverse and eclectic range of authors writing within an end-of-life context.  It is my hope that these books will generate discussion, invite readership and encourage our understanding of death, dying and spirituality in our post-modern culture.

For further information email Dr Michele T. Knight at salondemorte@gmail.com or visit us at Instagram instagram.com/salondemorte/ or Facebook facebook.com/salondemort/