It’s The Big Issue’s annual kids’ Christmas cover competition!

THIS is the feel-good hit of the winter

It’s our annual kids Christmas cover comp – and this year 8 year-old Maya Jerram has taken the prize and nailed the cover. Great colours, great joy in that image with Santa holding The Big Issue. We carry a load of the others inside, enough to melt the most cynical heart.

Our Letter To My Younger Self is with Alan Johnson, surely in with a shout as Britain’s most-liked politician. A fantastic look back at his incredible early life – and we get to the real reason he keeps saying he won’t run for leader of the Labour party…

John Bird, meanwhile, has a great piece looking at Paddington – bear and station – at clumsiness , at difficult Hanif Kareishi stories and at realities and meaning. Alan Johnson makes a cameo appearance.

Spot The Ball – still here. How can you resist?

Professional footballers: a bunch of greedy ne’er-do-wells who DON’T EVEN KNOW THEY’RE BORN? Say hello to Steven Naismith, the Everton and Scotland star, who (without any fanfare) has become the most decent, socially-minded footballer in Britain. Fascinating interview.

We’re delighted to welcome Polly Devlin, a masterful grande dame of journalism, as our new Big Issue columnist. She writes about the joy and heartbreak of being a mother.

Business editor Dominic Laurie looks at the devious plays of payday loan brokers, while Adam Forrest digs into the reality of Santanomics.

Hello/Goodbye. This week, our featured vendor on page 3 and final page is Lucian Urs, in Swansea. A map-maker, satellite imager and recent graduate, Luican is selling The Big Issue while he tries to find other work. Spirited!

We also have a review of kids books of the year – useful if you’re struggling for some gift ideas.