“You see, I’m leaving The Big Issue this month, after more than nine years as editor. And I am all the better for my time spent working here… I’ve valued the conversations, the laughs, the wisdom, the Street Soccer games, the critiques, the kindness and the friendships. It’s been an absolute honour.”
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good
On-screen, two women are performing a beautiful duet about the transformative power of friendship. ‘For Good’ is a tender moment between secret besties Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West (played by our cover star Cynthia Erivo), and Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande). It’s a meeting of good and evil, of green and pink. It’s a crowning moment in Wicked: For Good, the second film based on the blockbuster musical, a prequel to The Wizard of Oz.
Off-screen, I am bawling in a packed- to-the-rafters theatre. I’m weeping for these women (who really do deserve all their Oscars buzz). And also because these words hit harder than I’d ever realised they could. You see, I’m leaving The Big Issue this month, after more than nine years as editor. And I am all the better for my time spent working here, thanks to the many hardworking and talented people who create this magazine, and whose words, photos and artwork fill these pages; to all the wizards working behind the scenes to get our publication out into the world each fortnight; and to you, for buying and reading The Big Issue – I witness day in, day out just how much your support changes lives, for good.
Most importantly, a huge thank you to all the vendors and Women’s Workforce participants who have trusted me with your stories and your Big Issue ever since Ed#516. I’ve valued the conversations, the laughs, the wisdom, the Street Soccer games, the critiques, the kindness and the friendships. It’s been an absolute honour.
Amy Hetherington, Editor
Published in ed#750
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