The forty-third Battle Conference of Anglo-Norman Studies took place in the virtual sphere and in a much shortened form. That the conference took place at all was thanks to the kindness of Charles Insley at the University of Manchester. He encouraged us to offer a cut-down version of the conference, and he provided the platform on which our skirmish took place. Not all speakers were able to participate in the event, but we are grateful to those who reduced their papers to the twenty minutes the changed format required. The conference attracted some 130 delegates, a reminder that the online event did have the advantage of allowing more people to join the conference than would otherwise have been the case. We look forward to returning to the face-to-face conference experience, perhaps with an added virtual element, when eventually the current pandemic comes to an end.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to Ann Williams, which must be acknowledged here, for her feedback and insightful comments on a number of the papers. This volume’s qualities are in no small part due to her expertise.

Stephen Church