Union Square & Co. to Publish LETTERS TO OUR SONS, an Era-Defining Book on Fathers, Sons, and the Meaning of Manhood by Stephen Graham, Co-Creator and Star of Adolescence – and He Wants to Hear from You
NEW YORK (October 15, 2025) — Stephen Graham, Emmy-award-winning co-creator and star of Adolescence, is working with psychology lecturer Orly Klein on a major new project asking fathers to write a letter to their sons about what it means to be a man.
These letters, including one written by Graham to his own son, will be included in LETTERS TO OUR SONS, which will be published by Union Square & Co. in the US and Bloomsbury in the UK in October 2026. Editor-at-Large Claire Wachtel acquired North American rights from Rebecca Wearmouth at the literary agency Peters Fraser + Dunlop.
After exploring the issue of toxic masculinity in the Netflix global phenomenon Adolescence, which he co-created and starred in, Graham wanted to continue that conversation. Along with Klein, he is now inviting fathers from all walks of life and from around the world to draw from their own personal experiences and perspectives as they explain to their sons the true value of healthy masculinity and share advice, anecdotes, regrets, and joys. Embracing emotional expression, vulnerability, and connection, these letters help reclaim the positive qualities of manhood. LETTERS TO OUR SONS will be a collection of honest, powerful and moving letters that will resonate everywhere.
“After the huge impact of Adolescence, I realized there was a greater need for communication between fathers and sons. There is arguably an even bigger disconnect than ever before, and I would love to help create more opportunity for fathers to reach out to their sons and carry on the conversation. We want to hear from men of all ages, first-time fathers, absent fathers, fathers who’ve been there but never truly been there, fathers who’ve lost and fathers who just want to find a way to say I love you, to tell their sons what they mean to them and to talk openly about what it means to be a man,” said Stephen Graham.
“When my son turned thirteen, I asked a range of male friends to write him a letter that explained what they believed made a good man, and what advice they would like to give him. Some letters were funny, some were sad, most of them were thoughtful. Stephen and I have a mutual friend, and when I told her about this, she put us in touch, because she knew there was an idea for a book there somewhere. She knew that Stephen and I shared the same commitment to tackling the issues facing young men today,” said Orly Klein.
Emily Meehan, SVP, Publisher, Union Square & Co., said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Stephen and Orly on this powerful project. Adolescence sparked a cultural wave that ignited vital dialogue about masculinity, mental health, and the realities facing young people today. As a publisher and a parent, I found myself asking “What happens now?” LETTERS TO OUR SONS answers that question. This book isn’t just timely—it will be transformative.”
Submissions open on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Details on how to enter and T&Cs can be found at www.letterstooursons.co.uk
Stephen Graham OBE is an Emmy-winning actor, most recently known for his lead role in Adolescence (Netflix), which he co-created, co-wrote and starred in. Produced by Matriarch Productions, which he runs alongside Hannah Walters, the one-shot limited series became Netflix’s second most-watched English-language show worldwide. It earned fourteen Emmy nominations and went on to win eight, including Best Lead Actor (for Graham), Best Writing, and Best Limited Series, Anthology or TV Movie. Graham also recently starred in and exec-produced BAFTA award-winning Boiling Point (BBC) and A Thousand Blows (Disney/Hulu). Other notable credits include This is England, Boardwalk Empire, Help, The Virtues and Time. He can next be seen in Deliver Me from Nowhere, The Immortal Man (a Peaky Blinders film) and an untitled Apple TV+ project based on the novels by Lars Kepler. @stephengraham1973
Orly Klein is a psychology lecturer and researcher, with over two decades of experience at the University of Brighton and Brighton Met. She began her career working with homeless people in central London, which shaped her interest in marginalization and community organizations. She has published widely on reality TV, makeover culture, families with disabilities and hunger trauma. Most recently, she spent two years conducting participant research with Room to Rant, a ground-breaking workshop that uses rap as a therapeutic tool for young men aged 16–25.
About Union Square & Co.:
Union Square & Co. is a talent-driven publisher whose mission is to promote excellence in contemporary publishing and to honor the vision of our creators by providing best-in-class production, editorial and design choices. Headquartered in New York City, Union Square & Co., LLC, is an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, and includes the adult imprints Union Square & Co., Puzzlewright Press and Sterling Ethos; the children’s imprints Union Square Kids and Boxer Books; and the gift and stationery imprints Knock Knock, Em & Friends, Knock Knock Kids and Union Square Gift.
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Publicity Contact: Erica Gelbard, Executive Director of Publicity, Union Square & Co. Erica.gelbard@hbgusa.com