This is the first issue of ET in the ‘post-McArthur era’, edited by a new team, that happily still includes Tom. In preparing this issue, the new members of the squad became even more aware of Tom's editorial skills, the effort he has put into making ET succeed over 23 years and his general lightness of touch. It is entirely appropriate that this first issue therefore contain something of the old and the new in English studies. We decided to print, in the first half of this issue, short extracts from 6 seminal ET articles from its first 10 years, and invite the original authors to provide extended updates and comments.