This book proves the margins of society are not silent – they’re full of voices bursting to be heard
Now set to be a stage show as well as an anthology, the Cardboard Citizens project is telling even more, surprising, urgent stories
by:
31 Oct 2025
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Last year, Big Issue partnered with Cardboard Citizens to showcase a series of bold short films that shone a spotlight on the various ways people can become homeless – and now it will be taking both to the page and the stage.
The More Than One Story films were written by a range of acclaimed names including Charlie Josephine and Roy Williams and performed by actors with experience of homelessness, poverty and inequality.
The success of the project proved to Cardboard Citizens artistic director Chris Sonnex that storytelling is a powerful contribution to debate around ‘big issues’. Earlier this year, there was an open call for new submissions, resulting in an anthology that will be published on 13 November.
Among the 37 writers are household names like Malorie Blackman and Big Issue ambassador Michelle De Swarte, who sit alongside people being published for the first time, presented as equals.
“The process was just as important as the finished book,” Sonnex explains. “Every submission was read closely, responded to and treated with respect. Even if a piece didn’t make it into the final anthology – and believe me, we could have printed 10 books – its writer still received notes that recognised the value of their work.
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“That care is what makes this project different. It wasn’t about saying yes or no, it was about saying: we hear you, your creativity is real, and it matters. Everyone published has been paid, and for some, this marks their first professional and paid piece of art. That is, in itself, a small revolution.
“The book doesn’t just tell stories, it shows what can happen when people are given the tools and the support to explore their imagination,” Sonnex continues. “It’s political, it’s personal, it’s heartbreaking, it’s funny. It’s all the things life is. And its proof that the margins of society are not silent; they are full of voices bursting to be heard.”
In the book Redd Lily Roche writes about how we don’t all have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé, Jordon Grant gives a dystopian prophecy of where we might be heading and Khasha Hobbeheydar shares an account of working full-time as a chef while not having a bed to sleep in.
“The stories are vast, surprising, and above all an urgent call to remember that behind the statistics are human lives,” Sonnex says. “Stories connect us, shape us and have the power to change the future.”
Big Issue and Cardboard Citizens have a long history. Both organisations were founded in the same year, 1991, and since then have given opportunities and championed the voices of those on the margins. Big Issue allows sellers to earn their own income and work their way out of poverty; Cardboard Citizens harnesses the power of theatre to change the narratives of individuals experiencing homelessness.
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And they’re about to host one of their most exciting events, taking More Than One Story from page to stage. On 9 November, a troupe of the country’s greatest actors and comedians will bring stories to life at the Trafalgar Theatre. Rory Kinnear will host a line-up that includes Sara Pascoe, Paterson Joseph, Nabhaan Rizwan and Arthur Darvill who – just like in the anthology – will share the stage as equals with Cardboard Citizens members.
“The stories are raw, funny, moving, and unapologetically real,” Sonnex says. “It’s a chance to hear voices that too often go unheard, to be part of a community coming together to celebrate creativity, and to witness what happens when imagination meets lived experience.
“If you care about theatre, about stories that matter, or simply about having a night that will surprise and move you, this is the event to come to.”
Here are some of the incredible people who’ve contributed their words and their energy to making More Than One Story happen.
Caitriona Shoobridge, a More Than One Story writer
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Escapism is often a fundamental part of survival and art gives us that – it gives the opportunity to better understand ourselves and others, work through challenging parts of our lives and essentially rebuild. Writing and theatre making are ways to design a better future. Cardboard Citizens not only understand this, but they live and breathe it in all the work they do. It’s an enormous privilege to work with them and be part of More Than One Story, and I couldn’t be prouder to have work printed alongside these incredible writers.
Beyonce Miekle: Cardboard Citizens member and reader
Reading the submissions for More Than One Story was an amazing opportunity and experience. Being able to feel the emotions poured into each writing, images coming to life, and stories being told was a constant reminder of just how important this project is. Voices who once may have thought they would never get any platform to share their stories, now have the stage. Everyone you walk past has a story. Everyone has been on a journey to put them where they are today. This collection highlights the stories of those often overlooked, and the individuality shines through. For me, working on More Than One Story reminds me of how far I have come, and it makes me feel proud. I can only hope that for this brilliant selection of writers, it reminds them, too, of all the amazing things they can achieve.
Joelle Taylor, More Than One Sory writer
I spent much of my youth and early adulthood without a fixed home, staying in a combination of squats, friend’s sofas, peace camp temporary tents, and even sleeping on the stage set for a term when I finally got to university; I studied theatre and would always include a bed in the stage design. I know what inventiveness, what stoicism is needed to plan every endeavor around where you will sleep and what you might eat, if anything. This makes every endeavor creative, by necessity. I know what it is to be determined to only eat my own words. As such I was compelled to join this gathering of voices, this radical act of awareness and connection. I wanted to be part of something that explores the realities of homelessness – flicking through multiple narratives – while also honouring our wide imaginations, all the possibilities. This is a loud book and a quiet friend, a remarkable tribute to the most vulnerable among us, a call to action and community.
