Eliza Filby (born April 1981)[1] is an English historian, author, and speaker specialising in generational change. Her work focuses on how shifting generational values are reshaping society, work, education, politics, and family life.
Eliza Filby | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 (age 43–44) |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Spouse | Christian May |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
Early life and education
editFilby was born in Tooting, South London. She studied history at Durham University before completing a master's degree in Modern History at University College London. She earned her PhD in Contemporary British History from the University of Warwick in 2010 in a thesis which examined the role that religion played in the politics of the 1980s under the premiership of Margaret Thatcher.[2]
Career
editFrom 2010 to 2014, Filby lectured in Modern British History at King's College London, where her teaching focused on late 20th-century British political and religious history. She held a visiting fellowship at Renmin University in Beijing, delivering lectures on the global history of capitalism.
In 2014, Filby founded GradTrain, a career development company aimed at supporting aspiring academics to translate their work to the media, business and to students.[3]
Since 2015, Filby has worked as a consultant on generational change, advising clients such as PWC, Cisco, Google, and the UK Home Office.[citation needed]
Filby is currently a non-executive director at The Mission Group, a marketing communications and advertising network.[4]
Research and publications
editFilby's research explores how generational differences shape social and economic trends, including ageing, family, and work. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Telegraph,[5] The Guardian,[6] and the New Statesman.[7] Since 2022, she has written a monthly column in the business newspaper City AM.[8]
She is the author of three books:
- God and Mrs Thatcher: The Battle for Britain's Soul (2015), a study of Margaret Thatcher's religious beliefs and their influence on her leadership[9][10]
- Generation Shift: How Generational Evolution is Changing the Way We Think, Work and Live (2023), analysing the workplace and societal implications of changing generational values[11]
- Inheritocracy: It's Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad (2024), which became a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller and explores the intergenerational transfer of wealth in contemporary Britain[12][13][14]
Media and public engagement
editFilby is the host of It’s All Relative, a YouTube series on money, wealth, privilege and class in modern society.[15] She also writes a weekly newsletter titled "#MajorRelate" which explores societal change through a generational lens. She has appeared as a commentator on Sky News peaking on current affairs, generational identity, and the future of work.[16][17]
Personal life
editFilby lives in Tooting, London.[13] She is married to Christian May, Editor-in-Chief of City A.M., and they have two children.
References
edit- ^ "ELIZA FILBY ASSOCIATES LTD people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
- ^ Filby, Liza (2010). God and Mrs Thatcher: religion and politics in 1980s Britain (Thesis). S.l.: typescript.
- ^ "Graduate training | Gradtrain | England". GradTrain. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ "MISSION Appoints Dr Eliza Filby". MISSION Group. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Filby, Eliza (19 September 2024). "Success in Britain today simply depends on the wealth of your parents". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ "Bank of Mum and Dad: why we all now live in an 'inheritocracy'". The Guardian. 17 November 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Filby, Eliza (2 February 2023). "Why Rishi Sunak ought to beware of Prosecco Mums". New Statesman. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ "Eliza Filby, Author at City AM". City AM. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Filby, Eliza; Thatcher, Margaret (2015). God & Mrs Thatcher: the battle for Britain's soul. London: Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84954-785-7.
- ^ Campbell, John (19 March 2015). "God and Mrs Thatcher: The Battle for Britain's Soul by Eliza Filby, book review". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 August 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Filby, Eliza (25 September 2023). Generation Shift: How generational evolution is changing the way we think, work and live. PN Books. ISBN 978-1-916596-85-6.
- ^ Filby, Eliza (2024). Inheritocracy: It's Time to Talk about the Bank of Mum and Dad (1st ed.). London: Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78590-858-3.
- ^ a b Smith, Julia Llewellyn (17 September 2024). "My dirty middle-class secret: I owe my house to my gambling grandad". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Goodhart, David (December 2024). "Generation Pocket Money". Literary Review. No. 536. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
- ^ Bailey, Sarah (30 January 2022). "I quit my job at 56 but don't you dare say I've retired". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Sky News: Press Preview (TV Series 2011– ) - Eliza Filby as Self - Historian and Author - IMDb. Retrieved 23 June 2025 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "Friday's National Newspaper Front Pages". Sky News. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
Further reading
edit- Cunliffe, Rachel (21 September 2024). "Eliza Filby: "We've had 30 years of over-parenting"". New Statesman. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
- Smith, Julia Llewellyn (17 September 2024). "My dirty middle-class secret: I owe my house to my gambling grandad". The Times. Retrieved 22 August 2025.