THE STALLWOOD
COLLECTION

Making a Difference for Animals in 2013

I worked in a chicken slaughterhouse 40 years ago this summer. I was a student at a college in London learning how to manage hotels and restaurants. Three years later, I was a vegan at Compassion In World Farming, campaigning against factory farming and the live export of farmed animals to Europe. Today, I work as an independent scholar and author on animal rights, and proud to include Compassion among my clientele.

Looking back on my life in animal rights has preoccupied me recently. This is because I have obsessed over the completion of the manuscript for my first book. I explore what it means to care deeply about animals. I look back on my involvement in the animal rights movement in the UK and USA. I conclude there are four key values in animal rights: Compassion, Truth, Nonviolence and Justice.

The end of January is not too late to consider what I want to accomplish this year. Clearly, the book, which has still yet to be finally named, will be a major preoccupation. In fact, I am as fed up with talking about my book-to-be as you must be in hearing me prattle on about it. At last! I will breath a sigh of relief because it will be finished. And those who want to will be able to read it because Lantern Books will publish it in May.

Here’s a recording of me briefly talking about the book and reading a short extract from the Introduction.

 

 

Writing is just one chapter in a book’s history. The next is the promotion and marketing to draw attention to what it has got to say. I will be in the USA on a book promotion tour from May to July. Before then, I will relaunch this website to feature the book. Incidentally, I have put the blog of my alter ego, the Grumpy Vegan, on hold because he deserves a well-earned rest.

Writing is a large part of my life now. In addition to my first book, I have also written papers for four academic journals and anthologies to be published in Italy, Canada, the USA and the UK. I will share with you here information about them as they are published. Also, I am working on a second book which explores the animal rights movement in America and Britain. My goal is to publish this as an ebook in the summer. Then, later, to publish it as a ‘real’ book.

Meanwhile, I continue to work with various organisations as an independent consultant.

The Animals and Society Institute is very dear to my heart, not only as one of its co-founders along with Ken Shapiro, but also as a very special group dedicated to, among other things, the development of Human-Animal Studies.

It’s great to be involved again with Compassion In World Farming. This time I work closely with Philip Lymbery, Compassion’s Chief Executive, as Editor of his blog, A Compassionate World. I assist Philip with the research and development of material that the blog considers.

If your organisation is interested in exploring how I may be able to help you as an independent consultant, please email me at kim@kimstallwood.com.

I also believe in giving back to the animal rights movement and volunteer for two groups. One is local; the other international.

The first is East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service, which rescues, cares, treats and releases, whenever possible, injured wildlife back into the glorious part of England that I live. The other is Minding Animals International, which I help as its Deputy Director. I work on MAI’s further development and our next international conference in January 2015 which is in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India.

All in all, 2013 looks to be a very busy year. Which, of course, is as it should be, all the while animals are denied justice.

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Here’s to making a difference for animals in 2013!