The Memorial Dinner

“The Memorial Dinner” is a speculative essay that deals with the search for alternative ways of remembering and (re)imagining the past, especially (close) people, events, and relationships. After an unsuccessful attempt to find documentary evidence in archives about the life of her great‑grandmother Agatha, the author finally arrives at a spiritual gathering dedicated to the rituals of ancestral knowledge. The ceremonial gathering takes the form of an eclectic commemorative dinner, bringing together participants from different contexts and creating an atmosphere of connection. Quasi‑ritual actions experienced during the dinner result in the fusion of the participants’ memories of the deceased and trigger Victoria’s involuntary memories. This brings her closer to recognizing performative power as a productive tool for fusing imagination and memory and for creating sensory images of the past. Finally, the narratives and thoughts that emerge in the relational setting become fragile monuments of our past (or/and deceased), facilitating the liberation of feelings such as rebellion, acceptance, forgiveness, or affection, and building the potential for inner transformation and therefore ‑ relief.