Inheritocracy

Many of us grew up believing in a meritocracy, where hard work brings rewards. Go to university, get a job, put in the hours and things will be OK. That's what we were told - but the reality is that life chances and opportunities are no longer shaped by what we learn or earn but by whether we have access to the Bank of Mum and Dad. We're living in an inheritocracy, where parental support is what matters most - whether that's covering the cost of university, stumping up for a house deposit or helping with childcare. And let's be honest, this isn't something we like to talk about with our friends, families or as a society. It's a modern taboo. In these pages, generational expert Eliza Filby explores the emergence of this inheritocracy through her own life story, revealing how her family's financial circumstances shaped everything from her education to her dating life, from her career to her class identity. Inheritocracy is a thought-provoking and candid blend of memoir and cultural commentary, told through Eliza's humorous and insightful voice. With trillions of pounds set to be passed down the generations over the next two decades, a significant divide is emerging between those who can rely on family wealth and those who can't. Inheritocracy offers a fresh, captivating and honest look at our recent past and a future that will be shaped - for better or worse - by family fortunes.

Dr Eliza Filby is a historian, author and expert on generational changes in society. She is the author of God and Mrs Thatcher: The Battle for Britain's Soul and Generation Shift. Her writing has been published in The Times, The Guardian, the Financial Times and the New Statesman, amongst other publications. In 2022, she was awarded the Europa Forum's Millennial Leaders Award for her research on generations. She has taught at the University of Warwick, King's College London and Renmin University, Beijing, and sits on the board at Mission Group as a non-executive director. She is the host of the It's All Relative podcast and author of the popular #MajorRelate newsletter. She grew up in Tooting, south London, where she still lives with her husband and two children.