Planet of the cats. They got their paws on YouTube. Now they want the world!

In this issue…

Internet cats – they used to be something you just wasted a few minutes on at lunchtime – now they’re worth millions of dollars, and they’re taking over the real world too, with the first Cat-Con convention in LA and Internet Cat Video Festivals across the planet. We’ve spoken to the artist who invented the first big YouTube cat sensation (Keyboard Cat who graces our cover) and the people who run these festivals to find out why we’re slaves to felines…

Urban Nomad – a German artist has created a provocative range of wheelie-bin ‘shelters’ and outfits made of rubbish for ‘Urban Nomads’ that he says demand people think differently about homelessness. Is he right? We challenge readers to weigh in to the debate.

Pick up a Penguin – for the last 80 years Penguin has rocked the literary world, from its first affordable pocket-paperbacks to Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Now they’re doing it again, introducing readers to the great thinkers and authors of all time, from Dante to Dickens, with a series of bite-sized mini-Classics priced 80p each.

PLUS: We have 400 mini-Penguin Classics books to be won! Book competitions are always hugely popular with our readers, literary bunch that they are.

Also in next week’s magazine…

Bez of the Happy Mondays-turned-political-type talks about his family tradition of keeping bees

In Letter To My Younger Self Baroness Sayeeda Warsi on her journey from a leftish teen to co-chair of the Tory party, and her surprise at wedding a man she once despised

Brendan O’Neill reckons those protesting against Fifty Shades of Grey are insulting women and men, it’s a stimulating read

John Bird speaks about the power of collective action – purchasing power in particular

The Big Issue’s groundbreaking Make Heat Fair campaign rocked politicians and had Helen Mirren ringing us up to pledge her support in 2008 – and now we’re seeing the results in parliament

Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin has bad news for those of us who are Twitter-obsessed – it’s very bad for your brain. Find out why…

Vendor Lisa Sharpe introduces us to her pitch in Cambridge, where she used to run her own punt down the River Cam…

Plus lots more including: Pause – how to appreciate the everyday miracle of tap water; Hidden Britain is uncovering Roman secrets in Colchester; Charli XCX and Jose Gonzales in music reviews; Spot the Ball, Psy-Q, and Mackenzie Meets the guy who’s the baddie you love to hate…