In August 1977, Compassion In World Farming’s co-founder, Peter Roberts, took me as his Campaigns Officer to a symposium organised by the RSPCA at Trinity College, Cambridge. This conference, which was called ‘The Rights of Animals’, was my first opportunity to meet and hear from the philosophers Tom Regan (1938-2017) and Stephen Clark, the authors Brigid Brophy (1929-1995) and Ruth Harrison (1920-2000), the campaigners Clive Hollands (1929–1996) and Lord Houghton of Sowerby (1898–1996), the psychologist Richard D. Ryder, and the Reverend Andrew Linzey, an authority in Christianity and animal rights.… Read More


In 2012, I wrote here that Sue Coe is “quite simply, my favourite living artist.” For me, her work sits “proudly along a continuum which includes George Grosz, Otto Dix, Kathe Kollwitz, on the one hand, and El Greco, Thomas Bewick and Goya, on the other.”… Read More


Between 1976 and 1978 I was campaigns organiser for Compassion In World Farming. My duties included representing Compassion at various events, organising local groups, public speaking, and producing newsletters and other public educational materials. As Compassion’s second full-time employee, I was very fortunate to work directly with its co-founder, Peter Roberts, who I learned a great deal from. Please read my book, Growl (Lantern Books), for more on my animal advocacy.… Read More


January 2018 feels like it is a long way off. But it is not. Not when now is the time to plan your attendance at the triennial Minding Animals International conference in Mexico on January 17-24. … Read More


The mission of Minding Animals International is to advance animal studies worldwide. Every three years we partner with a like-minded organisation or a university to co-produce an international conference for… Read More


In six weeks time on Thursday, October 30 I will be in New York City as the guest of the Animal Studies Initiative at New York University making a presentation about Growl and… Read More


The presentation that I made at the recent International Animal Rights Conference in Luxembourg is now available to watch. It was called ‘Animal Witness’ at the conference but is given the… Read More


On Saturday, October 12, I joined with 12 others on a walk, Animal Pasts in Hyde Park, led by historian Hilda Kean in London. This is the second walk I’ve taken led… Read More


The International Animal Rights Conference in Luxembourg is an impressive event. It attracts animal advocates from across the world and produces an impressive program of speakers. It is also well… Read More


Presently, I am preparing to make a return visit to the USA from Thursday, November 8 to Saturday, December 1. This will be my second trip to the USA since… Read More


Nearly one week ago I returned to England from the Netherlands where I attended the second international Minding Animals conference at the University of Utrecht. Although I have been incredibly… Read More