The Kill Your Darlings team wish all of our readers and friends a joyous and relaxing festive season. We’re taking a break from publishing over the holiday period – keep an ear out for our end-of-year podcast next week, and we’ll be back on 15 January for another year of great Australian writing. Our office will be closed until 8 January 2018 – if you wish to contact us during this time, email [email protected] and we’ll respond when we can.

To help tide you over, we’ve crunched the numbers and unlocked some of our most popular articles of 2017, in no particular order:

 The Virtual Reformation: Jane Caro explores the historical parallels between our turbulent times and the Protestant Reformation.

We Are the Lucky Ones: Rebecca Shaw reflects on how growing up queer, despite the hard parts, may have saved her.

Ask Me How I Am: Kylie Maslen on Jenny Valentish’s Woman of Substances and the structural misogyny in the way women’s pain is researched, treated and silenced.

Less is More: Samantha Forge reflects on the epidemic of burnout in the arts industry

Pusheen Real Good: In this era of fake news and culture wars, Liam Pieper extols the virtues of a toy cat eating an ice-cream.

We Really Need You Tonight: Vince Ruston’s honest and unflinching journey through the sex industry.

(And don’t forget to check out the KYD team’s Best of 2017 if you need further inspiration.)

See you in 2018!