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Matthew Bannister marks twenty years of Radio 4’s Last Word by exploring how our attitudes to death, dying, and the ways we memorialise those who have died have changed. In this episode, Matthew considers how perhaps the most profound shift in remembrance is being driven by the advance of digital technology into the grieving process. We can now capture so many aspects of a person’s life – in video, photographs and audio – that some believe we can keep them with us forever. But is this a good idea? Six months before she died, Matthew’s wife Shelagh recorded a video reflecting on her life and sharing special memories. Matthew and their son Joe discuss their thoughts on the video and the impact it had on their memories of her. Matthew also speaks to Justin Harrison, the creator of You – Only Virtual, a service that provides virtual personas of those who have died. He also talks to Justin’s mother – who died in 2022.

Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Production coordinator: Jesse Edwards
Studio mixer: Dyfan Rose
Editor: Glyn Tansley