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Ian McEwan says pessimism ‘a bigger problem than climate change’

The Guardian UK Monday 25 May 2026, 20:47 UTC By Ella Creamer 1 min read

Speaking at Hay festival as UK breaks May heat record, author says optimism is a ‘moral duty’

Pessimism is probably “a bigger problem than climate change”, said the novelist Ian McEwan on Monday afternoon, as temperatures broke May records in the UK.

McEwan “constantly” hears people say that they don’t “expect their children to have as good a life as they did”, but suggested that optimism is a “moral duty”.

Ian McEwan (PERSON) Hay festival (ORG) UK (LOCATION) Monday (DATE)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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