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Throughout the festive period, street paper vendors write to their 25-year-old self

Each year, around the festive period, INSP brings together the diverse voices of its network for a feature with #ourvendors as the central focus. Because 2019 marks INSP’s 25th anniversary, the resulting feature is a twist on the now ubiquitous ‘Letter to My Younger Self’ series made famous by The Big Issue – a series which has now been compiled into a book – and been reworked, republished and replicated across the street paper network.

We asked each vendor who contributed to write to (or in some cases about) their 25-year-old self. For many, this meant dipping into the past. For others, it was a glimpse into the future. And for some, it was a good way to reflect on life right now. As usual, the list of vendors is eclectic and vast and offers a nifty snapshot of the street paper vendor population.

Starting tomorrow, INSP will bring you the writing of more than 50 vendors representing 25 street papers across 17 countries. We look forward to seeing their letters shared far and wide.

Over the next few weeks and beyond, you should be able to see this feature imaginatively used in many of our member street papers. So, as always, remember to seek out your local vendor, buy, and take the magazine.

[Top, L-R]: Big Issue Japan vendor Toshihiko Sakata; Liceulice vendor Mara Miletić. [Bottom, L-R]: Iso Numero vendor Anglia; L'Itinéraire vendor Maxime Valcourt.

For INSP members, this feature can be downloaded in full for republication from the INSP News Service.

Access part one and part two.

Special thanks to those who translated for this series: Daniel McLeod, Annelise Giseburt, and Catherine Castling.