Issue 994

 
How does Simon Cowell keep pulling the strings of the British public? We assess the bewitching powers of the TV master...

Also in this week's Big Issue...

BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson discusses his growing deafness, and the explosion that caused it, along with the death of a colleague...

Is there a new way for God? Contemporary philosophers debate the ideas around using the 'best bits' of religious belief...

Denise Welch raises eyebrows in Letter to My Younger Self...

Samira Ahmed considers the nature of time...

John Bird writes about the nature of crime and punishment...

Plus, spoon-bender Uri Geller, homelessness film The Truth About Stanley, the week's cultural highlights in your area, Street Lights, competitions and much more!