The passing this summer of John Hume provides the context in which reflections on the themes of reconciliation, hope and the importance of place comprise many of the essays in the Winter 2020 issue of Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review. Testament is paid to Hume’s immense impact on the political focus and discourse in Northern Ireland over a period of forty years; the scale of his achievements and the global reach of his inspiration also provide a framework for surveying the synergetic relationship between Britain and Ireland through a literary lens.