In 2013, The Big Issue in the North launches an Award for Short Fiction, aiming to raise the profile of promising new writers as well as funds for the homeless charity. The ten shortlisted entries feature in this new anthology, with the winner announced at a special event at the Manchester Literature Festival in October.

At least 50% of income from the anthology will go straight to The Big Issue in the North Trust, a registered charity.

Nathan Connolly is Service and Projects Coordinator for The Big Issue in The North. He is also a writer of fiction, drama and criticism, and lives in Manchester. Kevin Gopal is the editor of The Big Issue in the North, a weekly magazine sold by homeless people and others who have no means of earning an income in the North of England. Jamie McGarry runs the independent publisher Valley Press, based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.