New book reveals how tackling inequality can build a 'Good Society'
Posted on Tuesday 10 February 2026
The Good Society: And How We Make It will be launched at a public event in York on Friday 20 February 2026, held in partnership with the think tank Compass and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).
Tackling root causes
The ideas and vision in the book are drawn from over three decades of Professor Pickett’s research. Using evidence and examples of success stories and solutions from around the world, she shows that failing systems in society and declining health share a common origin: systemic inequality.
Professor Pickett argues that to create a society where everyone can have what they need to live well, we must prioritise the health, education, and rehabilitation of those who have the least. This means confronting once and for all the fundamental problems of poverty and inequality that lie behind all the others.
Professor Pickett said: “I want a society where our children can flourish, where everyone’s physical and mental health is as good as it could be and our environment is protected. Building a ‘good society’ is not just a utopian dream but a practical, achievable and a political choice.”
A fairer Britain
Professor Pickett OBE is Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Health Sciences at York, where she leads the Public Health & Society research group and is Director of the Born in Bradford Center for Social Change. Her previous work, including the international bestseller The Spirit Level, has shaped global conversations on how inequality affects every level of human life.
The upcoming launch event will feature Professor Pickett, Rachael Maskell MP, and Helen Barnard, Director of Policy and Research at Trussell, who will share their views on how the ideas in The Good Society can be translated into a vision for a fairer Britain.
Professor Pickett said “A fairer and more prosperous society is entirely within our grasp. This book sets out a vision for a healthier, greener and more prosperous Britain, and alongside that, a practical plan for how we can make that happen."
Join the conversation
The York launch of The Good Society: And How We Make It is on Friday 20 February 2026, at 6.30pm at the University of York. Admission is free, but booking is required. Location: Room RCH/037. For more information and to register, visit the University of York events page.
Further information
Professor Kate Pickett OBE is Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York, where she leads the Public Health & Society research group and is Director of the Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change at the University of York. She is an academic co-director of Health Equity North. Kate is also a Fellow of the RSA and of the UK Faculty of Public Health and the Academy of Social Sciences. She is co-author, with Richard Wilkinson, of the award-winning and best-selling The Spirit Level (2009) and The Inner Level (2018).
Rachael Maskell is the Member of Parliament for York Central and has used her position to advocate against inequality. She chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Groups for Adoption and Permanence, Ageing and Older People, and Dying Well. She had the Labour Whip suspended in July 2025 for, in part, voting against the Government's plans to reform the PIP welfare system. The whip was restored in November 2025.
Helen Barnard is Director of Policy and Research at Trussell. She was formerly Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Research and Policy Director at Pro Bono Economics. She is a leading national expert on poverty, inequality and social policy. Her extensive body of research and policy work have covered poverty, destitution, labour markets, housing, social security and civil society. She is author of ‘Want (Giants: a new Beveridge Report)’ which examines modern day poverty and the institutions and reforms required to address it.
Compass is a home for those who want to build a better, more equal, and democratic world.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is an independent social change organisation working to solve UK poverty.
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