This is normally the point when you receive an email from me saying we’re locking up the office for a short spell. But we did that on March 12. The Conversation though, carried on, with our editors, like so many of you, working from home.

Lots of our authors did likewise, writing for The Conversation while juggling domestic tasks and dealing with the challenge of doing research and delivering lectures remotely. Others had to continue working in their labs – some finding themselves at the heart of a story few of us could have imagined this time last year. They are true heroes of 2020.

After all that, a very unusual and somewhat denuded festive holiday now beckons. I hope you manage to enjoy the coming days despite missing the company of many of those who are closest to you.

We too will be having a break. This is the last of our standard daily emails of 2020. They will resume on January 4, 2021. We will still publish through the holiday period, but there will be fewer articles than at other times of the year. You will, however, receive a number of special emails highlighting particular themes we’ve covered in 2020.

Our current fundraising campaign also now draws to a close as the year ends. Your support is greatly appreciated, and donations can still be made here. The Conversation is a charity and relies upon the generosity of donors to expand its unique editorial offering – a news service provided by academic experts and journalists working in concert.

So, at the end of this strange, sad and unsettling year, we thank all our readers and authors. Your support is greatly valued. All the festive best, and here’s to a brighter 2021.

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