Despite a financial crisis and wobbly markets, the very rich have got even richer. The poor, meanwhile, have got poorer. And the gulf between the have and have-nots is growing. As Alan Attwood reports, this has implications for all of us.

Also in this issue:

Norwegian Wood director Tran Anh Hung discusses adapting Haruki Murakami’s famous novel; it’s the end of REM as we know it and Doug Wallen reflects that they’ve done fine; Kerry O’Shea catches up with screenwriter and …

For a boy who struggled with reading at school, Matthew has turned out to be a huge fan of novels about wizards, vampires, and the age-old battle between good and evil. “The Harry Potter books and Twilight are about magic and mystery and power,” Matthew says. “It would be great to turn a bad boss into a toad or put a million dollars into my bank account, but if I had one power it would be the power of …

Starring in two of the most successful film franchises – The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean – has made actor Orlando Bloom a Hollywood heart-throb. In this interview, Bloom discusses playing the petulant Duke of Buckingham in The Three Musketeers 3D, his decision not to do a fourth Pirates film and how a decade in the spotlight has left some scorch marks. And the Blooming fun continues with Sophie Quick pondering how handsomely Bloom goes about …

“It’s funny, when I was school I was a very high achiever: A+, did musicals, studied dance. My mental illness has destroyed any ambition. My sister has done three degrees, my brother’s an engineer, but I’m the only one in the family who has a mental illness.

It was drug induced – marijuana. I’d just left school and went fruit picking in South Australia; we smoked some [marijuana] and I became psychotic as a result. I ended up in the …

What do Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Hazel Hawke, Peter Falk and millions of others have in common? Answer: Dementia. It’s an illness affecting an estimated 269,000 Australians and, in this edition, we get several perspectives on its impact. Big Issue volunteer Kate Swaffer discusses her dementia diagnosis and its aftermath, Betty Birskys describes her generation’s deepest dread and Alan Attwood looks into public reluctance to contemplate the impact of this invisible pandemic.

Adam Curley reflects on 28 years of Red Hot …

Our annual fiction edition is getting bigger, better and more stylish every year. In this year’s edition we have 12 stories from a mix of up-and-coming and established writers and their work is accompanied by striking images from some great artists and illustrators.

Inside this edition you’ll find original short stories popular fiction author Nick Earls, Miles Franklin Award-winner Frank Moorhouse and Art of Fighting bassist (turned award-winning writer!) Peggy Frew. There’s even an extract from a soon-to-be-released new novel, …

Our fiction edition is coming out in less than two weeks and we’ll be holding a launch event on August 30 at Readings in St Kilda. Novelist Toni Jordan will do the official launching business and writers Chris Womersley, Nic Low and Laura Jean McKay will be reading excepts of their fiction edition stories. Come along and trade air kisses with us! For a full list of the selected writers and more details on the launch, see …

A smile says a lot about a person, and Bryan’s smile speaks volumes about his nature. It more than makes up for a lack of verbal communication, attributed to muscle problems arising in utero from a maternal illness. Bryan can barely speak, but is working on it, practising with a special plate in his mouth. A further pre-birth complication means he can’t see in shadows or at night, though he’s fine during the day.

While he admits he should practise …

The singer is dead, but not the songs. Alan Attwood explains why Amy Winehouse – like Jimi and Janis and Kurt – will endure.

Also in this issue:

More musical musings, as we mark 20 years since Nirvana’s Nevermind. Simon Castles reflects on why ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ became the unlikely anthem for a generation and former Nirvana drummer (now Foo Fighters frontman) Dave Grohl explains how he’s learned to strike that elusive rock-star/life balance. Rebecca Butterworth chats with filmmaker Michael Rymer …