We are delighted to introduce Unmasking the Red Death, the latest special collection from Modern Languages Open. Contributions examine Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Masque of the Red Death in light of lockdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring the central role that culture can have in times of crisis. Here, the co-editor of the collection, Emily Baker explains how this open access collection of articles came about and the research context and thinking that informs it.