Lucy Mangan's New Year's Reflection: A Resolution for Sunken Living Rooms
Journalist Lucy Mangan's Digested Week column for The Guardian, dated 2 January 2026, presents New Year reflections in the form of a diary-like weekly digest with daily entries.
Her central New Year's resolution is for the world to revive sunken living rooms, also known as 'conversation pits'. She praises these spaces as cosy, civilised, and non-disruptive, expressing hope for their comeback in 2026.
The diary describes her New Year's Day spent indoors enjoying smoked salmon, champagne, and books while watching London fireworks.
A tongue-in-cheek linguistic aside is made about clarifying the meanings of 'either' and 'each'.
Mangan also notes that John Lewis opened a members' lounge at its Oxford Street flagship in November 2025, which she hopes will signal a wider rollout of such spaces.
She marks World Introvert Day on 2 January and expresses a preference for solitude and staying in after the festive season.
Personal goals for the year include starting a Substack and reading the novel Middlemarch.
