Richard Dawkins to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Dawkins fans. Speculation had been rife that the author of the Selfish Gene is about to announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 85, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 11/08/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an author isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an author-scientist just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouRichard

For a little while on Monday evening, #ThankYouRichard was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Richard Dawkins was unlike any other author we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouRichard”
— @universalObserver, 10 Aug 2026

“Dawkins wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 10 Aug 2026

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