To the friends of the A US By the time this issue reaches you, the A US would have been ten years old. It is of much regret to me that I was able to publish only seven issues in that time, but the financial and physical demands gradually became too much for me. Also, after an initial surge, the Annual failed to attract more individual subscribers, though the number of institutional subscribers remained encouraging. I have no doubt that the Annual has served a useful purpose, but now is the time for me to stop and take careful stock of my resources and priorities. I want to publish some books — in Urdu as well as in English — of the kind that are not presently published or publishable in South Asia. To do so I must educate myself in the use of computers, and that will take some time. I hope to get in touch with you when I am ready with the first book. Khuda Hafiz, therefore, good friends. Your encouragement and support was much appreciated. If some individual or group among you wishes to continue with the Annual you have my permission and blessings. Just let me know. C. M. Nairn