Can You Hear Me?
GQ India|October 2019
From her school strike last August to the meetings with world leaders and legislators ever since, this year one voice proved louder than the rest: that of the teen Swede speaking up for Mother Earth. And for all of us
Stuart McGurk
Can You Hear Me?

The story of Greta Thunberg, now 16, has been much told, but rarely well. She is the Swedish schoolgirl who, in August last year, decided to school strike for climate and sparked a global movement – about 1.6 million people in 133 countries. The one who has covered Time magazine met Obama and been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The one who has given speeches at the UN, Davos and the British parliament. The one who has become a symbol for a generation not being listened to by a generation that won’t have to suffer the consequences of not listening. We have ten years, she will often say in her speeches, to stave off a chain reaction that will forever alter the future of our planet. If we only start listening when she’s 26, it’ll already be too late.

All of this you can find on the internet. It’s only a google away – knock yourself out.

The question is, which version of the above is true? The cynical version has it that it is her parents who have pushed her into this, writing her speeches and pimping their daughter to promote their cause.

The optimistic version has it the other way around: that it’s her mother, Malena Ernman, who gave up her opera career for her daughter by agreeing to no longer fly. And how she did it not for the planet, but for her daughter, who was depressed, not eating, not talking, and for whom the cause became a path to recovery.

The truth, as it often tends to, lies somewhere in between.

The first thing Greta Thunberg tells GQ is what she’s had for breakfast. This isn’t a genuine question on our part – in fact, it’s a mic test – but the answer is telling. She ate bread “that was about to go off” with some hummus “that was about to go off too.”

Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av GQ India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av GQ India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA GQ INDIASe alt
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
GQ India

The 30 Best Watches Of 2024

Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
GQ India

Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...

Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.

time-read
8 mins  |
October - November 2024
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
GQ India

The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame

In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
GQ India

"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
The Wedding Singers
GQ India

The Wedding Singers

Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.

time-read
5 mins  |
October - November 2024
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
GQ India

A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face

As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November 2024
The Fluidity of Cartier
GQ India

The Fluidity of Cartier

Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November 2024
A Princess with Passion
GQ India

A Princess with Passion

From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.

time-read
6 mins  |
October - November 2024
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
GQ India

THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ

The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.

time-read
10 mins  |
August - September 2024
DEMNA UNMASKED
GQ India

DEMNA UNMASKED

He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.

time-read
10+ mins  |
August - September 2024