Inside the Big Issue: Lessons from a mole

We’re delighted that Charlie Mackesy, author of the celebrated and seminal The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has created the exclusive cover for this week’s magazine.

This is what home means to him: “Home is a big word, and it could mean a friendship, it could be making a home within yourself. We’re all on this journey, really, in different ways, and the obvious one is having a roof over your head, having somewhere to put your shoes and your clothes and lie down and feel safe.”

The original book holds the record for the longest-running number one in The Sunday Times non-fiction bestsellers chart and has sold 10 million copies globally. The film adaptation won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film and a Bafta for Best British Short Film. The book’s sequel, Always Remember, was released last year and topped the 2025 Christmas book chart. Before Big Issue calls Mackesy, he posted on Instagram a picture of two of his characters sitting on a tree branch: “‘What do you think success is?’ asked the boy. ‘To love,’ said the mole.”

We’re also giving away a print signed by Charlie Mackesy and 10 signed magazines. Want to win? Enter here.

Get your copy of this week’s magazine from vendors or the Big Issue Shop now

What else is in this week’s Big Issue?

Can veterans be helped off the streets by Christmas?

No one should sleep rough on the streets but military veterans experiencing homelessness can be a particularly emotive issue. Few would argue that anyone who served the country should be failed in such a way. But the issue is often co-opted by far right groups aiming to whip up division and distinguish between the deserving and undeserving poor. The reality is that there are plenty of resources put into addressing veterans’ homelessness directly. This is necessary: veterans face additional barriers that prime minister Andy Burnham will have to overcome if he wants to end rough sleeping for good. Lee Buss-Blair explains how Burnham could start by understanding the scale of the problem.

‘There have been times when it has felt like my own personal lockdown’

When Cal Petrie was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour, it was the start of a long and gruelling journey. Now he’s nearing the end of his treatment and hoping to draw attention to an underfunded disease that’s the leading cause of cancer deaths among young people.

Councils are spending millions on private children’s homes. So why aren’t kids getting better care?

There are nearly 10,000 young people living in children’s homes in England. Most of them are living in institutions run for profit. Private providers own 84% of children’s homes in England, charging councils an average £318,400 per child per year. Shareholders have made hundreds of millions of pounds from this arrangement – but a new survey suggests a high degree of public dissatisfaction with it.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Change a vendor’s life.

Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – and always take the magazine. It’s how vendors earn with dignity and move forward.

You can also support online:
Subscribe to the magazine or support our work with a monthly gift. Your support helps vendors earn, learn and thrive while strengthening our frontline services.

Thank you for standing with Big Issue vendors.