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  • This is how it begins. The real voice of the street

This is how it begins. The real voice of the street

Issue 1165

This is how it begins. The real voice of the street

In this weeks issue…Several weeks ago we were contacted by a man called James Campbell. He had recently become homeless and was sleeping rough. He wanted write a diary charting the experience as he pulled himself back up. Pretty quickly the clarity of observation and the sharpness of the writing shone. A different view than you might anticipate, there is humour and warmth here. And a real ear for dialogue. We’re delighted James brought his diary to us. It had to be our cover. He says he’ll write until he’s back on his feet. He intends to get there soon. This is writing that demands to be read.

Our Letter To My Younger Self, is with Julian Clary. As raw and compelling about his Catholic education as he is about nursing his partner in the final days of his life.

Maintaing a diary theme, Steven MacKenzie looks at the furore around The Diary Of A Teenage Girl. A celebrated film from a much loved book, it is written, directed and produced by women with a female audience in mind. It openly and honestly offers the perspective of a 15-year-old girl. Yet censors in Britain have decided that teenage girls can’t see it. MacKenzie breaks the news to stars Bel Powley and Swedish pinup Alexander Skarsgård. They don’t react well.

Our featured vendor, Joseph Saunders, who sells in Norwich, is in My Pitch. A former brickie, an accident on site damaged his back and left him unable to work. He’s enjoying the opportunities The Big Isuse is presenting.

John Bird meanwhile, challenges us to challenge ourselves. We need to consider if we are right more often, and see where it takes us.

A welcome return this week from Polly Devlin. She celebrates meadows and what we can do to save them.

Adam Forrest reveals how Big Issue Invest has helped a company break new ground in the up-cycling market.

We also speak to Spongebob, Mark Watson reveals his fantastic football ground peccadillo and we encourage readers not to fear Minecraft.