February has seen its fair share of fun and fetching front pages from the street paper network, with #VendorWeek and Valentine’s Day both being marked on a number of covers around the world.
As we prepare to open the 2019 INSP Awards for entries next week, could any of the following front pages be in line to scoop the Best Cover Award?
Read on to see our covers round-up for February…
Cover Highlights:
#VendorWeek 2019 was celebrated during the first week of February, and saw 48 street papers from 25 countries take part in the worldwide celebrations of our vendors. The #VendorWeek video returned, with vendors saying a big hello to us and each other! And the occasion was marked on the covers of several street papers on sale over #VendorWeek too. StreetWise ran a front page featuring a map of vendor locations all over the world. Groundcover News printed a special cover featuring the #VendorWeek poster. And Real Change ran a Where’s Wally?-inspired cover to coincide with their “Where’s Stone?” campaign – a Big Sell event featuring Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, which you can read more about here.
Love was in the air this month too, as Valentine’s Day was celebrated and street papers printed some lovely covers. Toledo Streets spread some vendor love with their Vendor Appreciation Issue, marrying #VendorWeek and Valentine’s Day together nicely. The Big Issue (UK) presented a Love Compendium. And The Curbside Chronicle blossomed with a floral cover story about their Curbside Flowers project, which will soon see their first permanent flower shop opening in Oklahoma City, employing people transitioning out of homelessness.
February has been filled with other occasions and celebrations too, which street papers have – quite literally – covered. StreetWise marked last weekend’s Oscars with an edition dedicated to their vendors reviewing the Academy Award-nominated films (which can be read here). Streetvibes and Liceulice commemorated their 400th and 50th issues respectively. And Ireland’s Big Issue turned back the clock with a retro Friends cover, as the much-loved TV sitcom prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Look back on our covers series here, and keep an eye out for the next round-up coming in late March.