Some of the best ideas emerge, not in moments of deep contemplation or studious silence, but in more convivial and relaxed circumstances. That was true of the idea for this special issue. It emerged in the course of a long lunch, and was the result of a suggestion by Dave Laing. He drew attention to the many ways in which music and literature were connected and the interesting questions and issues that their relationship raised. It would be a good theme, he said, for a special issue. He was right. The call for papers that we published produced a wealth of fascinating proposals. Sadly, there were too many to include here, and it was a difficult task to select the few that are published in the following pages.