This year we asked vendors: if you could give a song as a present this Christmas, what would you choose? The result was the INSP Vendor Playlist, which is now available for your listening pleasure. Aurora da Rua vendor Luís talks about his choice, the traditional bloco-afro song ‘Revolta do Olodum’.

Each year, INSP puts together a hugely popular feature for the festive period that is focused on street paper vendors from around the world. Too often, vendors are reduced to the problems they face. While it’s important to confront the issues vulnerable people deal with daily, sometimes we can miss the little things that make us all, homeless or not, who we are. So, this year we asked something a little different of vendors: if you could give a song as a present this Christmas, what would you choose? The result was the INSP Vendor Playlist, which is now available for your listening pleasure.

Larmarques Smith moved to Denver two years ago. Haunted by the death of his partner from an over-dose, Larmarques found it impossible to stay in Indiana, despite the fact that he had built a life for himself there. Living on the streets has been tough for him, as those around him have no knowledge of what he has been through. This is precisely what motivates Larmarques to reach out to others: he hopes to provide them with the sort of support that he himself is looking for.

Victoria came to the UK from Romania a year ago and has been a Big Issue North vendor for around nine months. She wants to build a future for herself and her partner, Ionut, here in the UK and to find a stable job. Victoria enjoys her work as a Big Issue North vendor and is grateful for all of the support and help that she has had from her customers.

The umbrella organisation of Slovakian street paper Nota Bene organised a sleep out on the streets of Bratislava to show solidarity with those people currently being affected by the drastic anti-homelessness laws passed by the Hungarian government in recent weeks, and urged the Slovakian government not to go down the same path of criminalisation of the homeless community.

David K has been selling The Big Issue for over a decade from his pitch in Brisbane’s central business district. He started working as a vendor when his life was on an upswing, and things have only improved since then. David is the proud father of a daughter now in college and a keen street soccer player, and he wants to thank his customers for their support over the years.

Women aged 24 to 34, often with children, are the most likely to access homelessness services in Australia, while homelessness among older women is on the rise. Big Issue Australia vendor Cheryl shares her experiences of being homeless as a woman.

It may be Halloween, but we’ll try not to scare you off with this month’s eclectic round up of street paper covers from around the world.

A mom of two kids and two cats, Julie “Jewel” Chapman would take everyone under her wing for protection if she could. Her altruistic activism fuels her work within the Downtown Eastside community of Vancouver, where she is a support worker for sex workers and those struggling with addiction. Despite some people’s negative attitude towards the DTES, Jewel feels that her neighbourhood is a wonderful community full of hope.

Last year, Lice v Lice featured the story of one of its vendors, Tunan Sadik, and stated that he was “one of those people who succeed in their lives”. Less than a year later, Tunan has used his success as a magazine vendor to provide a better home for himself and for the rest of his family. We visited him at home in the Shutka neighbourhood of Skopje to find out more.

The editors of The Curbside Chronicle make room in every issue to share personal stories from Curbside vendors, as their goal to document the challenges of homelessness. Homelessness can be an extremely difficult path and going it alone is never easy, which is why readers might notice that some of the magazine’s vendors have pets. In a series of conversations with Curbside vendors, we find out more about the furballs who have wagged their way into vendors hearts and become an integral part of the Curbside community.

Mr. Huang sells The Big Issue Taiwan from his pitch outside the Qizhang metro station in Taipei. His life changed five years ago when two workplace accidents and a cancer diagnosis transformed his physical health. Having made peace with the past, Huang is grateful that being a Big Issue vendor provides him with a steady income and is looking forward to the future with hope.

Clothes make the man: a principle that vendors of Düsseldorf street paper fiftyfifty had the chance to experience first-hand as the subjects of an unusual photo shoot. Advertising agency Havas collaborated with the world’s leading photo agency Getty Images to create a completely new perception of people living on the street, with the aim of helping to challenge existing prejudices. Their campaign, called “Repicturing Homeless”, has received media coverage all around the world.

After winning the Best Project category at the 2018 INSP Awards for their Frank Turner fronted fundraising concert during the 2017 Street Paper Summit in Manchester, Big Issue North’s Street Noise team embarked on their most audacious challenge yet – a string of five events in five days, across five major cities in northern England, called the Big Busk. INSP was lucky enough to tag along for a day to see how it all went.

Roger Meier’s vision of Bern, Switzerland, is different to that of a Federal Council member or that of Japanese tourists visiting the city. It is also profoundly different from the perspective of an average Bernese. In his work as a Surprise tour guide in Bern, Roger Meier is sharing his experiences of living on the streets for 20 years.

Surprise vendor Ali Nur Mohammed was badly injured in an attack carried out by Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia. He lost his right leg in the attack and the prosthetic limb that he has worn ever since causes him chronic pain. After reading about him in an issue of Surprise, Ronnie Schenkein set up a fund for Mohammed. This is what happened when the two met for the first time.

Recently, two street papers in different parts of the world published similar stories celebrating organisations that give free haircuts to homeless people. Dortmund-based magazine bodo told the story of the Barber’s Angels, a group of professional hairdressers from all over the North Rhine-Westphalia region who had come to Bochum to dish out complimentary styling. Across the Atlantic, Nashville’s The Contributor described a day of business for the Nashville Street Barbers.

When we hear from vendors, it is usually to learn more about their experiences with homelessness and how working as a street paper seller has helped them. But vendors do all sorts of outstanding, inspiring things that we might not know about. Gerald “Spike” Peachey aims to use all of his experiences from the streets to help build a city where everyone can live their best lives by running for councillor in Vancouver’s civic election later this month. He sets out the reasons why the people in his district should vote for him.

INSP was pleased to offer a series of scholarships to support 14 delegates from 9 countries in attending the Global Street Paper Summit that took place in our home city of Glasgow in August.

Ewa, 51, sells Hinz&Kunzt at her pitch in front of the Douglas perfume shop on Mönckebergstraße, Hamburg. Earlier this year, she worked in the KunztKüche, where her hard work and dedication were noticed by her co-workers and, in May, she was the winner of the ‘Mit dir geht mehr’ (You make our city better) campaign. Hinz&Kunzt met up with Ewa, who has high hopes for the future and who has done so much to support others in her community.

As September draws to a close, we’re pausing for a moment to reflect on the impressive street paper covers that have been seen across the INSP network this month.

Chon Gotti, a vendor and salesman, discusses how he found himself without housing and how he moved beyond that point. A former officer, an advocate and parent, Gotti sees life as a matter of pride, confidence and strength. Along with discussing his business strategies, Gotti works to be a reminder that the homeless are not a stereotype, but people just like anyone else.

This Big Issue love story begins at a wheelchair touch football game and continues on through joy, devastation and more love – an abundance of it. The Big Issue Australia’s editor Amy Hetherington speaks to newlywed vendors Kelly and Greg.

Castrenze has been hit hard by Italy’s financial crisis, more than once in his life. But now settled in a home as a Scarp vendor, things are looking up.

After speaking to delegates on the opening day of the 2018 Global Street Paper Summit in Glasgow, journalist, commentator and activist Sunny Hundal sat down with INSP to talk more about engaging those we disagree with and the importance of street papers in providing an alternate voice.

Over the last few years, homeless women have become a familiar sight on the streets of Italy and the problem of homelessness has been steadily increasing among Italy’s female population. As the number of homeless women continues to rise, Scarp explores the reasons behind this and learns more about the unique problems that are faced by women living on the street.

Making a documentary film is an intricate and lengthy process. Here, Hans-Albrecht Lusznat describes his role as cameraman during the production of BISS’s documentary about the lives of four of its vendors. Filmed over a period of three years in Munich, Germany, the film follows four vendors and documents the trials and triumphs that they experience while working for BISS.

Street Roots vendor Gail talks about her upbringing in New York, moving to Portland with her daughter and using selling the street paper to combat social isolation.