The spirit of independence

Bookshops of Britain

For Independent Bookshop Week we celebrate the bold, the brave and the beautiful shops that are propping up high streets and serving as community hubs. We also recognise the important roles libraries play and hear about how there’s much more going on than book borrowing nowadays. And if you’re not already convinced we add up the economic benefit of making sure everyone has access to books.

Bob in Japan

It’s been a year since Street Cat Bob died, but his legacy lives on. We visit the sheltered accommodation opened in his memory that helps people who are homeless in Tokyo not have to separate from their pets.

Rev Richard Coles

The reluctant national treasure writes a Letter To My Younger Self where he speaks movingly about losing the love of his life.

Also inside

• The economic tide is (hopefully) turning so we provide some top tips on brushing up your skills and expertise
• Has a charity really banned the word mother? We find the Fact/Fiction
• Acclaimed author David Mitchell writes about how books changed the way he understood the world from his autistic son’s perspective
• We dig into why closing archaeology departments at universities is such bad news
• We also meet Jules in Leicester who is finally getting to know the city she recently moved to last year now that lockdown is lifted

Plus much more!

Please support your local Big Issue vendor on their pitches in England, Scotland and Wales. If you cannot reach local your vendor, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.