The Introduction describes our reasons for undertaking a special issue on psychoanalysis and the humanities and offers reflections on the relation between the two fields. In particular, we discuss the implications of the diminished importance of these two fields within our culture, and will also consider this in relation to recent developments in clinical psychology. We move on to briefly characterize the thirteen articles contained in this issue, some of which have a general focus on psychoanalysis and the humanities, and some of which have a specific focus, such as history, philosophy, painting, literature, film, photography, performance, music and poetry.