I met Cicely Saunders, unexpectedly, at a conference in Sheffield during 1999. At that time, I was a hospital chaplain undertaking a doctoral study of the spiritual dimension of health care. Cicely’s talk, concerning the creative power of loss, was unforgettable and has stayed with me ever since.

The following year I took up a research post, mapping the levels of palliative care development - first in the countries of Eastern Europe and then in other world regions. Part of the evidence base includes the collection of oral histories, hundreds of them, the real-life experiences – on the record – of hospice and palliative care activists.

Significantly, a number people from every continent spoke movingly about Cicely, noting especially her capacity to motivate and inspire. And it’s here, at my desk in the music room, lit by a single piano lamp, that I listened again to the interviews, checked the transcripts, incorporated extracts into my publications, and recalled a time when she touched my heart as well.