The definitive investigation by an award-winning journalist into why - across continents, classes, cultures and religions - we're having fewer children
'Wise, compassionate and non-judgmental' EMILY MAITLIS
'An entertaining and meaningful read' CLAUDIA GOLDIN
In Britain, one in five couples have no children, and almost half of all families have only one. The populations of China, Japan, Russia and Italy are shrinking. Pronatalists cry that feminism has killed the family. Governments throw money at childcare. Would-be grandparents wring their hands at the apparent selfishness of the young. But the conversation is in the wrong place.
Camilla Cavendish offers a startling blend of data and stories to uncover what is really driving the baby bust, meeting people with a diverse range of experiences, including millennial women going it alone, men who've missed out and communities quietly bucking the trend. Rather than the standard economic explanations, her interviews point to a myriad of cultural influences: from a dating recession to a loss of faith in the future; from the pressures of modern parenting to infertility struggles; from the atomisation of society to a deeply human instinct to copy one another that's amplified by the smartphone.
By examining the profound implications of a world in which fewer children are born, Generation Maybe argues for a future in which we respect the happily childfree while genuinely empowering those who long for children. Incisive, frank, eye-opening and humane, this book is for anyone who cares about the world we may - or may not - choose to make for the next generation.
| ISBN: | 9781847929129 |
| Publication date: | 1st October 2026 |
| Author: | Camilla Cavendish |
| Publisher: | The Bodley Head an imprint of Vintage Publishing |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 272 pages |
| Genres: |
Social forecasting, future studies Population and demography Sociology: family and relationships Relationships and families: advice and issues Parenting |
The definitive investigation by an award-winning journalist into why - across continents, classes, cultures and religions - we're having fewer children
'Wise, compassionate and non-judgmental' EMILY MAITLIS
'An entertaining and meaningful read' CLAUDIA GOLDIN
In Britain, one in five couples have no children, and almost half of all families have only one. The populations of China, Japan, Russia and Italy are shrinking. Pronatalists cry that feminism has killed the family. Governments throw money at childcare. Would-be grandparents wring their hands at the apparent selfishness of the young. But the conversation is in the wrong place.
Camilla Cavendish offers a startling blend of data and stories to uncover what is really driving the baby bust, meeting people with a diverse range of experiences, including millennial women going it alone, men who've missed out and communities quietly bucking the trend. Rather than the standard economic explanations, her interviews point to a myriad of cultural influences: from a dating recession to a loss of faith in the future; from the pressures of modern parenting to infertility struggles; from the atomisation of society to a deeply human instinct to copy one another that's amplified by the smartphone.
By examining the profound implications of a world in which fewer children are born, Generation Maybe argues for a future in which we respect the happily childfree while genuinely empowering those who long for children. Incisive, frank, eye-opening and humane, this book is for anyone who cares about the world we may - or may not - choose to make for the next generation.
Generation Maybe features in the following genres: Social forecasting, future studies, Population and demography, Sociology: family and relationships, Relationships and families: advice and issues, Parenting
Generation Maybe is available in Hardback
Generation Maybe was written by Camilla Cavendish and published by The Bodley Head an imprint of Vintage Publishing
Generation Maybe has 272 pages
£22.50