Hello 2023!

Few images say summer in Australia quite as dreamily as a Ken Done beach scene! The iconic artist makes a splash on this very special cover of our New Year edition, which celebrates the best bits of 2022. Dive in, as our arts editors bring you a Summer Entertainment Guide for those long lazy days – the best books, binge-worthy streaming and best films to watch when it gets too hot outside, and the must-listen music that defined the year that was.

More highlights in this edition:

• Fashion icon Jenny Kee talks swingin’ 60s London, 70s Sydney, and how she defined 80s fashion with her beloved Australiana knits, in an effervescent Letter to My Younger Self.
• Aussie actors Mia Wasikowska and Radha Mitchell dive deep into their silver screen adaptation of Tim Winton’s Blueback.
• Featuring rock gods, jazz greats and unforgettable storytellers, our 2022 mixtape honours the musical legends we lost this year, in all their sparkly, transcendent and irreverent glory.
• Photographer Robin Schwartz meets the swimming pigs who are on permanent vacation in the Bahamas.
• Yuliia Manetska serves up her recipe for Ukrainian borsch, care of our friends at non-profit Free to Feed.
• And we’ll test your memory banks with our annual Big Quiz!
• PLUS: start your year off right with The Big Issue Calendar. Just $20 from your local vendor!

Cover image courtesy of The Ken Done Gallery: kendone.com.au
Beach painting I, 1999
acrylic on canvas, 149.5 x 120cm