© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Following the global success of Netflix’s Adolescence, actor and creator Stephen Graham has announced a new book project that seeks to continue the series’ exploration of masculinity, family, and communication.
Letters to Our Sons, to be published by Bloomsbury in October 2026, will compile heartfelt letters from fathers around the world, reflecting on what it means to raise boys—and to be a man—in the modern age. Submissions open on October 15 and will close on January 12.
“My hope for this book is that it will be a continuation of the message of Adolescence—a tool for fathers to start more conversations with their sons,” Graham told the BBC.
The actor, who will include his own letter to his son, has partnered with psychology lecturer Orly Klein for the project. Together they will donate a portion of proceeds for every published letter to the mental health charity ManUp? and the social enterprise Dad La Soul, both dedicated to supporting young men’s wellbeing. Bloomsbury has pledged an additional donation to ManUp?.
In a statement, Graham said the idea grew out of the overwhelming response to Adolescence, which tackled issues of toxic masculinity, digital isolation, and fractured family relationships. “There’s an even bigger disconnect than ever before,” he said. “We want to hear from men of all ages—first-time fathers, absent fathers, fathers who’ve lost, and fathers just trying to say ‘I love you’. This book is about giving men permission to speak openly about love, loss and identity.”
Earlier this year, Adolescence became Netflix’s second most-watched English-language series—behind only Wednesday—and earned widespread critical acclaim. Reviewers praised its unflinching look at the pressures facing modern teenagers.
In his review of the series, Indian Express film critic Rohan Naahar, wrote: “Netflix’s new mini-series is incendiary; it’s a haunting examination of parenthood and pubescent rage, emotional isolation and inherited trauma, ingrate influencers and mental illness.”
At this year’s Emmy Awards, Adolescence swept multiple categories, including Best Limited Series, Best Director, and acting awards for Graham himself and co-star Erin Doherty. Fifteen-year-old Owen Cooper, who played a troubled schoolboy accused of murder, won Best Supporting Actor.
With Letters to Our Sons, Graham hopes to transform the show’s cultural momentum into a broader movement, a global conversation about fatherhood, empathy, and what it means to raise boys in a world still wrestling with old ideas of manhood.
