What to Do for English Now

Abstract: This is not a usual chapter for the Yearbook of English Studies because this has not been a usual year for work in our discipline. It has been a year of crisis in a period of crisis. This chapter is about practical things everyone involved in the discipline can do for English studies. These include: knowing what the wider ‘ecosystem’ of the subject looks like, and knowing how changes (or failures) in one area lead to disasters in another; making new allies; responding in a constructive way to issues in the ‘culture wars’; campaigning (and becoming involved in #EnglishCreates); modelling and amplifying English; and (finally) demonstrating our love for and enthusiasm about our discipline and knowing too, that the skills and capabilities English teaches and enhances — communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity — enable our students to grow as individuals, have fulfilling careers, and contribute to our societies.