Generation Dread by Britt Wray

FINALIST FOR THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S LITERARY AWARD

ONE OF CBC’S BEST CANADIAN NONFICTION BOOKS OF 2022

An impassioned, informed perspective on eco-anxiety and staying sane amid climate disruption.

“A vital and deeply compelling read.” —Adam McKay, award-winning writer, director, and producer of Don’t Look Up

“Intriguing and engaging…Britt Wray explores the internal ecology of climate anxiety with insight and sensitivity.” —Dr. Gabor Maté, author of The Myth of Normal

“Read this courageous book.” —Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything

Climate and environment-related fears and anxieties are on the rise everywhere. As with any type of stress, eco-anxiety can lead to burnout, avoidance, or a disturbance of daily functioning. 

In Generation Dread, Britt Wray seamlessly merges scientific knowledge with emotional insight to show how these intense feelings are a healthy response to the troubled state of the world. The first crucial step toward becoming an engaged steward of the planet is connecting with our climate emotions, seeing them as a sign of humanity, and learning how to live with them. We have to face and value eco-anxiety, Wray argues, before we can conquer the deeply ingrained, widespread reactions of denial and disavowal that have led humanity to this alarming period of ecological decline.

Weaving in insights from climate-aware therapists, critical perspectives on race and privilege in this crisis, ideas about the future of mental health innovation, and creative coping strategies, Generation Dread brilliantly illuminates how we can learn from the past, from our own emotions, and from each other to survive—and even thrive—in a changing world.

Story Locale: Planet Earth

BRITT WRAY is a writer and researcher working at the forefront of the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is the Director of Stanford Medicine’s Special Initiative on Climate Change and Mental Health in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She holds a PhD in science communication from the University of Copenhagen and did her postdoctoral training at Stanford Medicine in global health. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts and radio and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED speaker, and is the creator of Gen Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis: gendread.substack.com.

Author Residence: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

Author Hometown: Toronto, ON