Last Christmas at 40

What better way to launch Big Issue’s bumper Christmas magazines than celebrating Wham!’s classic single? Andrew Ridgeley talks to us about the making of the song, its legacy and how the season has changed now George Michael is no longer around.

Also inside

• We meet the real-life elves making sure children in poverty don’t miss out on toys this Christmas
• Exiled Chilean author Isabel Allende explains in a Letter To My Younger Self how she began writing to cope with grief
• Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart talk about being Trumped in a momentous year for politics
• Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan reveals how she’s channelled her inner Katniss Everdeen in her new job
• Nightbitch director Marielle Heller on her new film where Amy Adams turns into a dog
• Star and writer of new comedy Smoggie Queens, Phil Dunning, tells us about the sense of pride – both queer and regional – that drives the show
• Lonely this Christmas? A new way to find connections with others will bring people together
• Philomena Cunk shares her take on 2024
• And London vendor Susan on getting support from Big Issue to brush up on her IT skills

Plus much more seasonal good cheer!

If you can, please buy a copy from your local vendor.

If you can’t buy in person, you can purchase magazines from The Big Issue Shop or download a digital version via The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play