We mourn the passing of the driving force behind Reading Australia, Brian Johns AO. Brian saw the potential of the internet and sought to use it to address concerns about a scarcity of Australian titles being taught in schools and universities. As Chair of the Copyright Agency Board and Cultural Fund Committee, he ensured sufficient funding was available to commission the high quality content that is now housed on the Reading Australia website. Just the week before his death on New Year’s Day, Brian spoke with Zoë Rodriguez, Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund Manager, to ask about Reading Australia’s progress and suggest ways this wonderful scheme might be developed. We commence 2016 with a firm commitment to build on his legacy and to make Reading Australia the place to go for lively, professional coverage of Australia’s best writing.