Elina will be taking some time to grieve the loss of her father.

Max Middleton was an assiduous participant in the Dialogues who himself was an accomplished artist, an exquisite draughtsperson, an inspiring teacher and, most importantly, a kind and generous human being. He will be greatly missed yet his impact in many people's lives will keep him alive and his echoes resounding.

Our thoughts go out to all of you as the festive season nears. Some may too be experiencing absences while others are celebrating presences, and many may be in the midst of a very human and messy mix of the two. We are such intrinsically social animals that maybe the most important thing we have to give one another is the gift of our attention. Be it through shared moments, long-distance messages or the act of remembering...

...we wish you all the best for the festive season...

...and hope you don't get caught up in the mechanisms of consumption that dominate much of the commercialised version of the upcoming holidays that have long roots in the Winter Solstice and Saturnalia.

Max Middleton