Why start a blog about death, of all topics?
Isn’t it depressing to write about grief and death all the time?
Why is the blog called “Coffinfolk Café”, and where did the characters Quinley and Herrow come from?
In this post, I’ve gathered the most common questions I get about my interest in death, the Coffinfolk blog, and the short stories featuring Quinley and Herrow.
My relationship with death
What sparked your interest in death?
It’s something that has grown over time.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been interested in (cultural) history and folklore—subjects that more or less go hand-in-hand with death. There’s something so fascinating about reading how people lived and died in the past, trying to understand how they made sense of the incomprehensible in their everyday lives. Death was a much more present part of life back then, and I think that has rubbed off on me over the years.
What began as a mix of fear and fascination has become a passionate “friendship” with death.
Have you personally lost loved ones?
I’ve experienced losses of many kinds.
The part of my family and relatives I was close to now rest in cemeteries scattered across the country. Even though I’m the only one left, I don’t feel alone—if that makes sense?
Isn’t it depressing to write about death?
Quite the opposite! When you write about death, you also write about life. Many of our traditions and rituals surrounding death are rooted in love and care for the person who has passed away.
I’ve been moved to tears many times while researching or writing, but that’s because the subject of death contains so much humanity, warmth, and love.
The Coffinfolk Café blog
Where does the name “Coffinfolk” come from, and why call a blog a “café”?
I spent a long time searching for the right name.
A game I really enjoy is called Coffee Talk. It inspired the name CoffinTalk, but a quick Google search showed that it was already taken. Back to the drawing board.
I really liked “Coffin” in the name, so that stayed.
The blog is about people— folks—so: Coffinfolk!
I wanted something that framed the blog and gave my characters, Quinley and Herrow, a fictional place to call home. The initial idea was a bookshop. To make it feel more inviting, the bookshop got a café section. That later developed into a full café with bookshelves filled with intriguing reads.
Why did you start Coffinfolk?
Because I’m a nerd who loves to write, tell stories, inform, and explain.
Especially when it comes to a subject as big and often emotionally charged as death, I think it’s important to offer a place where you’re allowed to feel all the feelings without judgment. Somewhere you can read about topics or find answers to questions you might not dare to ask—or didn’t even know you were wondering about.
I hope to contribute, in my own small way, to reducing the stigma around conversations about death and all the thoughts, questions, and wishes connected to the end of life.
Do you use (generative) AI on the blog?
No. I do my own research and write all the posts myself. I also put together the downloadable PDFs with exercises, etc., that you can access for free on the blog.
When I use stock photos, I do my best to filter out AI-generated images.
Coffinfolk’s logo is my own design.
The header image of Quinley and Herrow was drawn exclusively for Coffinfolk by the fantastic artist Dany Darkly.
Why isn’t Coffinfolk on social media?
Mainly because I don’t use social media myself.
People find the blog when they need it or when they feel like visiting Coffinfolk again. Our door is always open for you, and I’ll never tap you on the shoulder in various feeds trying to shove you over the threshold.
How did your friends react when you told them about the blog?
Mostly with positivity!
Those who know me know I don’t shy away from charged or taboo topics that I care about, so it probably wasn’t a big surprise that I chose to start a blog specifically about death.
How are you received when you do research for your posts?
Even though the blog is still young, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm from the people I’ve contacted at museums, authorities, and companies. Most have been very helpful and accommodating, providing the information I sought or answering my questions thoroughly—even the ones people may not usually dare to ask.
Quinley & Herrow
How did the idea for Quinley and Herrow come about?
I knew I wanted Death to be a character in the stories. My personal image of Death is a masculine figure, a classic Grim Reaper—an ancient “soul” who has seen everything yet remains interested in the people whose fates he follows.
At first, I considered writing myself as the second main character in the stories, but I wanted someone who didn’t always think, feel, or reason the same way I do.
Quinley is a character I’ve written about in other stories unrelated to Coffinfolk, but her personality fits very well both with Herrow and as the café’s host.
How much of yourself is in their personalities?
Quinley is like a more hyped-up version of myself, while Herrow is more toned-down.
There’s a lot of me in both their personalities, but they also have their own quirks and traits.
Will there be longer stories or even a book about them?
I hope so! It would be wonderful to release a collection of new, longer short stories or a full book about Quinley and her unexpected friendship with Herrow. There’s so much I’d love to share that doesn’t quite fit on the blog since I try to keep the posts relatively short.
The future
Do you have long-term plans for Coffinfolk Café? A podcast? A YouTube channel?
At the moment, I’m focusing mainly on writing. For a podcast or YouTube, I’d want a partner—someone to share both the conversations and the workload with. If the right person and opportunity come along, I’m definitely open to expanding Coffinfolk into other forms of media beyond text.
Would you like to open Coffinfolk as a real café?
It would be fantastic if someone opened a café with the same niche as Coffinfolk, but I think I’ll stick to running it as a fictional café in the short stories.
One thing I would love to try is hosting a Death Café—an event where a café creates a space for people to gather and talk about death over a cup of coffee. Sadly, you wouldn’t get to meet Quinley or Herrow there, but it would still be in the same spirit as Coffinfolk’s cozy café.
How much is there really to write about death? Aren’t you going to run out of topics soon?
Right now, my list of ideas for future posts is over four pages long, and I feel like I add new items every other day. There is so much to write about!
From old forgotten traditions here in Sweden and around the world, to information that can support and help those facing death and grief today, to questions and new burial alternatives that may shape our future death culture.
My biggest enemy isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s indecision about what I want to share first.
If your question wasn’t answered, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email.
There are no stupid questions.