We know why you bought this magazine!

At present, there is a run on books, TV shows and exhibitions dealing with the brain. So, we’ve asked Dr Michael Corballis to take us for a brief walk inside the head and detail some of the reasons we do things. Do we have much free will over cognitive processes or is it all ancestrally hardwired, we wondered. As a companion piece, author Hari Kunzru looks at memory, what it is and what we are without it. An exhibition on this has just opened at the V&A. We also provide brain exercising tips too. It is, to paraphrase the brilliant Gregory’s Girl, very interesting.

Sheridan Smith has, almost without anyone noticing, become one of the great female character actors of our time. As she heads to conquer the States, she tells Adrian Lobb about how The Big Issue and Twitter keep her sane.

And there’s more!

Diane Abbott was the first black female MP. In this week’s Letter To My Younger Self she details the ambition that has being a lifetime constant and the difficulty of growing up after her parents divorce. A curious choice of godfather for her son features.

Big Issue founder John Bird, meanwhile, considers effort and the excuses we make to avoid making any. Get up, he says, get busy! No excuses!

Samira Ahmed channels Burt Lancaster as she fights existential angst by swimming her way through the nation’s municipal pools and lidos. Paul Weller is involved. Dive in.

There is also a curious working week spent with Peter Carson, who I think we can call Mr Stonehenge. He meets druids. A lot.

Our featured vendor is Steve James from Norwich. He has a dog called Poppy, much loved by his regulars, and used to run a mobile recording studio on a bike. Beat that.

There is much much else, amongst it MacKenzie talking Right Said Fred and Doctor Who with Bernard Cribbins. He’s the next Doctor. the week’s cultural highlights in your area, Street Lights, competitions, and much more, including a picture of a dog dressed as Yoda…