I am a refugee: The Dalai Lama interview

In this weeks issue…His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama sat down with The Big Issue’s Steven MacKenzie to discuss the biggest issues – as a refugee himself, he understands the need for compassion to overcome religious and national barriers. He also gives Pope Francis a report card, explains how the people of China can reinvent Communism, praises the power of Twitter, and says smiling is a scientific subject. Oh, and he adds that The Big Issue is “a good service to humanity.” Too right.

Dr John Cooper Clarke: punk, poet and sartorial autonomist pens an eloquent Letter To My Younger Self. Teenaged John dreamed of American diners and West Side Story; John today says he’s “in the Garden of Eden, buster”. Love conquers all.

Do the Locomotion: Pete Waterman, the 1980s shiny plastic pop supremo who brought us Kylie and The Hitman and Her, is a lifelong lover of railways. He details all the reasons why Jeremy Corbyn’s proposed renationalisation won’t work. A people’s railway? We should be so lucky.

Hallelujah for Chvrches: Lauren Mayberry, singer of internationally hip electro-indie outfit Chvrches, is an ex-Big Issue writer. She’s also a crusader in the fight against trolling of women. She talks about standing up to sexism online and in the mainstream media. Pow!!

Hallelujah for Churches Part II: Parish churches collectively hold a bigger collection of intriguing objects and overlooked treasures in Britain than our major museums – and they’re considerably less packed. Find what to look out for in Pause.

Goals and dreams: we look back on this year’s phenomenally successful Homeless World Cup in a glorious selection of pictures ­– the hope, joy, triumph and tears, with a few celebs and kings thrown in.

My Pitch this week features Sebastian in Glasgow, who’s a bit nifty at table-tennis and loves to read sci-fi.