Going On and On

Why Our Longevity Threatens the Future

About The Book

We are living longer than ever before.
But what is it costing future generations?
And why is nobody willing to talk about it?

Australia’s ageing crisis is reshaping the nation — placing enormous pressure on healthcare, aged care, housing, politics, and younger generations struggling to inherit an increasingly unequal future.

In this provocative and deeply thought-provoking book, acclaimed writer Lucinda Holdforth explores the uncomfortable truths behind modern society’s obsession with longevity, youthfulness, and refusing to let go of power.

As Baby Boomers grow older, Australia faces mounting economic and social challenges that experts warn could rival climate change and geopolitical instability in their impact. Yet conversations about ageing, death, generational inequality, and political stagnation remain taboo.

With insight, wit, and fearless honesty, Holdforth asks the difficult questions many avoid:
• What do we owe future generations?
• Why is prejudice against young people so socially accepted?
• Has society become trapped by leaders unwilling to step aside?
• And what happens when entire generations refuse to age gracefully?

Blending cultural criticism, politics, philosophy, and social commentary, this compelling nonfiction book challenges readers to rethink ageing, power, responsibility, and the future we are leaving behind.

Perfect for readers interested in generational politics, social issues, ageing populations, Australian current affairs, and thought-provoking cultural commentary.

“A courageous, witty, compelling and often beautiful argument…” — Charlotte Wood

Appearances

JUL 30
12:00PM
In Person

Australia’s ageing population is reshaping our future placing unprecedented strain on aged care, the economy, and generational balance. As we pursue longer lives, critical questions arise about leadership renewal, fairness, and opportunity for younge

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Leichhardt Library
The Italian Forum
23 Norton Street
Leichhardt , NSW 2040
AUG 22
3:00PM
In Person

What happens when death stops doing its job? We’ve spent centuries fighting to live longer, but nobody’s asked what happens when we actually succeed. Is an ageing population a civilisational triumph or a slow-moving crisis we’ve collectively agreed

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Carriageworks
245 Wilson Street
Eveleigh, NSW 2015

About The Author

Photograph © Carly Earl

Lucinda Holdforth is the author of four books examining what makes good societies flourish. While working as a speech writer and adviser to senior leaders across government and business, she has written with wit and insight about the women who shaped the culture of Paris, the enduring value of manners, the language of democratic leadership and, most recently, the downside of modern virtues in 21st-Century Virtues: How They Are Failing Our Democracy (2023). Her books are lively provocations – wake-up calls – to think more clearly about the forces and conditions that make for a civilized world.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia (March 31, 2026)
  • Length: 208 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781761821011

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Raves and Reviews

‘a breath of fresh air and an affront/.’ 

– Lourne Visser, The Conversation 

"this book is darkly funny. She’s asking us to confront uncomfortable truths about our extreme longevity."

– Caroline Overington, The Australian 

‘A sharp slap to our complacency about the catastrophic damage we're wreaking on our planet, our economy, and the creative regeneration of our culture in refusing to accept that our lives must end. In Going On And On, the always brilliant Lucinda Holdforth presents a courageous, witty, compelling and often beautiful argument for my generation to hurry up and let go. Her book has made me revise my own plans for growing old, showing me how to think clearly and compassionately about the gift we must give the future in supporting the young, stepping back and giving way.’ 

Charlotte Wood, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Stone Yard Devotional

‘Compelling, provocative and quite hilarious.’

Joe Aston, bestselling author of The Chairman's Lounge

‘A provocative and challenging contribution to the inter-generational debate.’

Hugh Mackay, bestselling author of The Way We Are

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