The detection and spectroscopic confirmation of very high redshift objects is a rapidly developing field, with discoveries of galaxies at z=7 and z=10 just announced in the last few weeks. I shall review these recent developments and describe our own attempts with Gemini to identify and study a significant population of galaxies at these very early epochs.

I will also briefly outline what instruments are available on the Gemini telescopes in the forthcoming 2004B application round.