Activism takes many forms and over the years social justice movements have approached the fight to obtain rights in many ways. Direct action, marches, protests, petitions and even social media can play a part.&nbsp; If you are of an artistic disposition, you can use your creative skills to great effect. A perfect example of this is music. As a medium, it has the ability to evoke strong emotions. It can be powerful and visceral, enabling a strong animal rights message to be heard and acted upon. Below are V-Land’s top 5 vegan artists who use music as a form of activism. <h2>Moby</h2>After going vegan in 1987, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/moby" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Moby</a> is now a prolific and vocal advocate for animals. Much of his music is influenced by this position and in 1996 he released the album titled <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3xmlMrPhua2HDRR0YwkUH0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Animal Rights</a>. This deviated from his usual style, and given the subject matter, it wasn’t that well received by his broader fan base. Nonetheless, he has amassed a catalogue of 20 studio albums and sold over 20 million records.&nbsp;&nbsp;An interesting watch is his feature-length documentary, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9q1IidazY8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Punk Rock Vegan Movie</a>, which looks at punk rock’s links to animal rights activism. As anarchists, punk rockers were more likely to question societal norms, including how the food we eat is produced.&nbsp; <h2>Prince</h2>Like Moby, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/prince" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Prince</a> needs little introduction. His music impacted a generation, and with over 150 million records sold worldwide, he is one of the best-selling artists of all time.&nbsp; After going vegan in the 1990s he released the single, “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1PxVh7MUB9iGtd3opcfXnJ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Animal Kingdom</a>”, in 1998. This firmly rejected the notion that it was OK to exploit animals for any purpose. A year later, he released the album <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/54xp79ruakOSPWUE7YawIe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic</a>. On the cover, he wore a tight-fitting blue outfit, typical of his style. It was a definite statement piece in presentation and meaning. In the sleeve of the album, he wrote: “If this jacket were real wool, it would have taken seven lambs whose lives would have begun like this… Within weeks of their birth, their ears would have been hole-punched, their tails chopped off and the males would have been castrated while fully conscious. Extremely high rates of mortality are considered normal: 20-40% of lambs die before the age of 8 weeks: 8 million mature sheep die every year from disease, exposure or neglect. Many people believe shearing helps animals who would otherwise be too hot. But in order to avoid losing any wool, ranchers shear sheep before they would naturally shed their winter coats, resulting in millions of sheep deaths from exposure to the cold.” Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, but his contribution to the movement lives on and still influences people to this day. <h2>Macka B</h2>With a career spanning decades, this British-born Jamaican reggae artist has a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ph6mRzG0lANVJRBTUIxI2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">back catalogue</a> any musician would envy.&nbsp; Following the principles of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ital" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Ital</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/officialmackab" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Macka B</a> adheres to and promotes the benefits of a whole food plant-based diet.&nbsp; <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0IDk2BLXypQbSK6yi4ekuH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Wha Me Eat</a> is a firm favourite. It chronicles the very relatable tale of vegans having to explain what they do and, more importantly, don’t eat. For a more playful, solo vegetable-focused track, check out <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2sLd6kJMLkVi2jgy1RTIC7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Cucumba</a>. The song regales the multiple health benefits of the humble cucumber. You might be surprised by its versatility. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/v-land/image/upload/v1691099221/Image_1_61_pic_2_8a6d0275cb.png" alt="Macka B holding a microphone and smiling "><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61711688" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Krd</a>/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=openverse" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">CC BY-SA 4.0</a> <h2>Mobius Loop</h2><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mobiusloopmusic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Mobius Loop</a> are an independent philosophical folk band with veganism at their core. Their desire for improvement includes humans, with songs and lyrics that reflect this mission. With 3 albums under their belt, the latest offering, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4HhVBH6NGI1kecyRnt6E9U" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">2020 Vi5ion</a>, includes the strong anti-hunting song, “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Yymx8C9GFUyw2Bbp3cSZf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Foxtrot Tally Hoedown</a>”.&nbsp; Eccentric in presentation and performance they are well worth checking out <a href="https://www.mobiusloop.co.uk/tickets" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">live</a>. <h2>Vegan Queen V&nbsp;</h2><a href="https://www.instagram.com/veganqueenv" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Vegan Queen V</a> is a solo female pop singer who is passionate about both human and non-human rights. Her debut album, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4aPKaroFeAqZhYKYBrHYke" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Freedom Warrior</a>, was released in May 2022. It is exclusively dedicated to highlighting all the ways in which animals are exploited. “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1ZzO2Eph7WNE0iE3v5KzNq" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Dominion</a>”, the opening track, is a melancholic questioning of why humans continue to abuse their position of power. If you listen to just one album today, this should be it.&nbsp; <h2>Honorary mentions&nbsp;</h2>Another dedicated animal rights album worth adding to your playlist is <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3KdauY9XaYaiqGjdRdTjdW" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Animal Liberation</a> by <a href="https://musicdigi.com/post/artist-spotlight-3a-liberation-drummer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Liberation Drummer</a>.&nbsp; And our final pick is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/andyjonesofficial" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Andy Jones</a>. He has released multiple albums which include tracks like “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2kAjcUSZhG0dDPG0tYXCU9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">I See You</a>” and “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZdVU77zIrDi3PyYpBaXM5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Better Than This</a>”. Like the artists above, if you want to get creative with your animal rights activism, check out which vegan artists to follow on Instagram in our article, <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/art-as-activism-vegan-artists-to-follow-on-instagram" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">art as activism</a>. For even more inspiration on how to get started, or for additional options to expand your activism, have a look at <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/unique-uk-animal-rights-activism-approaches" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">unique UK animal rights activism approaches</a>.

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5 vegan artists using music as a form of animal rights activism

It’s Pride Month! With parades, marches, and parties happening throughout June all over the world, this month celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride honours the 1969 Stonewall riots, which were a catalyst for the gay rights movement and the creation of gay activist groups in the USA and around the world. You may be thinking, what does veganism have to do with Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community? Whilst it is necessary to note that sexuality is not a choice - whereas an individual chooses to go vegan - both movements are married by their challenging of norms, promoting inclusivity, and their mission for a more compassionate world. It is no coincidence that a large number of LGBTQIA+ people are vegan.&nbsp; <h2>Social justice movements&nbsp;</h2>LGBTQIA+ and vegan movements are united in their stride for social justice. Veganism is inclusive of non-human and human animals within its philosophy of harm reduction and collective liberation and, therefore, it inherently supports the LGBTQIA+ community. Hence, to choose a vegan lifestyle is to support and defend all life, and to protect those subjected to harm, violence and oppression.&nbsp; Article writer for Curve Magazine, Josie Le Vay created a Facebook poll in 2017 asking people if they identified as LGBT+ and posted it in UK vegan Facebook groups. Out of the 925 responses, <a href="https://www.curvemag.com/blog/health/why-are-so-many-lgbt-people-vegan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">66.4% said they were LGBT+</a>, and with the number of vegans rising each year, that figure may continue to rise.&nbsp; <a href="https://plantbasednews.org/opinion/opinion-piece/opinion-pride-is-a-protest-and-so-is-veganism-we-must-keep-fighting/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Dan Matthew’s from PETA said</a>: “Many animal rights activists support the LGBTQ+ community, and vice versa because we identify with those subjected to society’s ignorance and arrogance”. <h2>Identity&nbsp;</h2>As well as identifying these overlaps between groups, it is important to view them as separate. In the article ‘<a href="https://theveganreview.com/intersection-queer-culture-veganism-lgbtq/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Exploring the intersection of queer culture and veganism</a>’ published earlier this month, Chloë Morgan looks into how individuals define their sexuality and their veganism in relation to their identity; sportsperson JP Casey, who is non-binary and vegan, states how “being vegan isn’t as much a part of my identity as being queer.” They describe how they’ve been to vegan food events with non-vegan friends, “but have attended fewer queer nights with straight friends”. They add: “I would more readily describe myself as a queer person than a vegan person”. JP Casey highlights how their sexuality is more important in relation to their identity. It is fixed, whereas veganism is chosen. Casey further states that vegans “don’t face anything near the kind of legal and social challenges queer folk do”. Therefore, bringing them together in terms of marginalisation can be seen as rather problematic, as “it’s illegal to be queer in some parts of the world, but no one is imprisoning vegans”. There are still <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-43822234" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">64 countries </a>that have laws that criminalise homosexuality as of March 2023 and whilst vegans who protest are often arrested, it is not illegal to be vegan.&nbsp; In contrast, gut health influencer and scientist-clinician <a href="https://theveganreview.com/intersection-queer-culture-veganism-lgbtq/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Dr Sunni Patel</a> believes that being vegan is as much part of his identity as being queer. “[Both] play an important role in my life and make me who I am today and what I stand for.” Dissimilar to JP Casey, Patel suggests an equalness to their veganism and sexuality, both possessing a key part of their identity.&nbsp;&nbsp; Writer <a href="https://theveganreview.com/intersection-queer-culture-veganism-lgbtq/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Kelsie Colclough </a>shares her experience of being queer and vegan in a society that expects conformity: “Growing up, I knew I was different in some way but didn’t have the word to describe it until I was a teenager.” She says that people think her veganism and asexuality both deprive her of something: “When you don’t fit into the image people have of how you ‘should’ live, [they] can get weird about it,” she explains.&nbsp; <h2>Compassion for all</h2>Whilst there is a similarity between the vegan and LGBTQIA+ communities as both strive for freedom, it is important to consider them as two separate movements. Protesting for equality and a compassionate world for all, they overlap, but are not inextricably related from both sides. Not all people in the LGBTQIA+ community are vegan, but all vegans should support the LGTBQIA+ community.&nbsp; It is important to remember that veganism transcends the protection of and refusal to eat animals, instilling a much larger mission, to protect, defend and support all animals, humans, and sentient beings. If you’re looking for more content pertinent to Pride Month, why not check out our interview with <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/up-close-and-personal-with-sean-o-callaghan-aka-fat-gay-vegan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Fat Gay Vegan</a> and our list of <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/10-amazing-lgbtqia-to-follow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">amazing LGBTQIA+ people</a> to follow.

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How do LGBTQIA+ and vegan movements overlap? Where do they differ? 

Buddhism is a religion famous for its approach to compassion and enlightenment. As with any religion, the Buddha's teachings can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, and the same goes for the Buddhist stance on food. There isn’t a universal Buddhist diet that everyone follows in exactly the same way as one another. Are Buddhists vegan? Not necessarily, in fact, not all Buddhists are even vegetarians. But that doesn't mean the religion doesn't have a rich vegan culture. From a way of life that condemns the killing of animals, what else would you expect? Join us for plenty of facts about Buddhism as we explore veganism's place in the religion.&nbsp; <h2>What is Buddhism?</h2>Buddhism is a religion that arose in India around 2,500 years ago and follows the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha). Today, there are over <a href="http://worldpopulationreview" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">520 million practising Buddhists</a> across the globe, making it the world's fourth-largest religion. This article will mention two of the biggest schools of Buddhism: Theravada and Mahayana. Buddhists are encouraged to follow a concept called the <a href="https://www.londonbuddhistvihara.org/teachings/the-noble-eightfold-path/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">eightfold path</a>. By following this path, practitioners can end their suffering and eventually reach enlightenment. This path is made up of eight guiding principles: • Right understanding - Remember that actions have consequences&nbsp;• Right intention - Follow the Buddhist path•&nbsp;Right speech - Don't lie, slander, abuse, gossip etc.•&nbsp;Right action - Behaving in a way that doesn't harm others, e.g. killing, stealing etc.•&nbsp;Right livelihood - Earn a living that doesn't cause harm, e.g. no trading livestock or weapons•&nbsp;Right effort - Avoid unwholesome thoughts and feelings•&nbsp;Right mindfulness - Become aware of your thoughts and feelings•&nbsp;Right concentration - Practice meditation&nbsp; <h2>Veganism in Buddhism</h2>Is veganism an essential part of Buddhism? Put simply - no. Some Theravada Buddhists will argue that since the Buddha wasn't vegetarian or vegan, removing animal products from the Buddhist diet isn't necessary to achieve enlightenment. Surprisingly, the<a href="https://americanmonk.org/vegetarianism-theravada-buddhism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(13, 13, 20);"> </a><a href="https://americanmonk.org/vegetarianism-theravada-buddhism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Buddha even laid down rules for eating meat</a>. Essentially, it's okay for monks to eat meat as long as it was a donation and the animal wasn't killed specifically for them.&nbsp; However, for a Buddhist monk living in a monastery, eating meat is not a personal choice. They can't go to the local supermarket and pick out all their favourite goodies. Instead, Buddhist monks often survive purely on donations.&nbsp; But most Buddhists aren't monks living in monasteries - especially here in the UK. So, what did the Buddha say about eating animal products for everyone else?&nbsp; Again, nothing. But, as Buddhism strictly prohibits taking life and causing harm to others, many interpret this as following a vegan diet. For example, in the<a href="https://globalcomment.com/why-arent-more-buddhists-vegan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(13, 13, 20);"> </a><a href="https://globalcomment.com/why-arent-more-buddhists-vegan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Mahayana sect of Buddhism</a>, there are clear and strict rules that condemn eating meat (no caveats for monks here).&nbsp; And since it's impossible to create meat without harming animals, this makes a lot of sense. Buying a steak from your local butcher is just causing suffering by proxy. While you didn't personally kill an animal, you did fund the process.&nbsp; Even in the Theravada practice, where eating meat is allowed under certain conditions, lay people (non-monks) are still advised to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet. Why? To avoid funding unethical animal farming practices. So, what about milk and eggs? The Buddha taught us to respect animals. Still, we've all seen how modern farming practices treat them. We're talking cramped factory farms riddled with diseases. Calves removed from their mothers for increased milk production. And the purposeful killing of male chicks in the egg industry. There's suffering wherever we look. <h2>The lowdown</h2>If you're interpreting 'right action' as not to intentionally cause harm, even by proxy, veganism is the way forward. It's a compassionate diet that removes unnecessary suffering from our food supply. And plenty of great healthy vegan food recipes are just waiting for you online! Yet since the Buddha didn't teach us not to, consuming animal products doesn't mean you're not Buddhist. At the end of the day, it's all down to each individual's interpretations of the Buddha's teachings.&nbsp; Above all else, be mindful of what you eat and where it comes from. Does something have to suffer for you to eat dinner, or is there a compassionate option instead?&nbsp; If you enjoyed learning about how veganism and Buddhism overlap, ponder further on the topic of moral encounters with non-human animals with <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/mind-being-world" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">author David G. Brooks</a>, and discover how <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/going-back-to-our-roots-the-benefits-of-tree-hugging" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">tree hugging has roots in environmental activism</a>.&nbsp;

Three Buddhist monks in red robes eating a Buddhist diet together sat down around a table  

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Is a Buddhist diet vegan? It’s more complex than you'd think

According to <a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/news/media/statistics/worldwide#:~:text=Behavioural%20changes,150%2C000%20(0.25%25)%20in%202014." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Ipsos Mori polls</a>, the number of UK vegans quadrupled between 2015 and 2019. A key driver of this trend is the massive growth in the market for plant-based alternatives to meat and animal products - this market is predicted to more than double to a whopping <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280394/global-plant-based-food-market-value/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">$160bn by 2030</a> in the US alone. So, how is veganism affecting the meat industry? Plant-based alternatives to meat seek to imitate and replace animal products that are often a major constituent of particular dishes. Their purpose is to reduce the demand for meat, dairy, eggs, and fish by substituting them with a close analogue - one which is made entirely from plants. People in the animal agriculture industry know and understand this, and often interpret the rise of the plant-based market as a palpable threat to their slice of the pie. As a result, the animal industry has taken certain steps to protect its interests - however, none of these steps has involved reducing slaughter or scaling back production. Instead, animal industries often employ new marketing campaigns in a rash, last-ditch attempt at retaining their market share. One example of this came in January 2022, when Dairy UK and the ADHB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) teamed up to deliver their “We Eat Balanced” campaign. On the surface, this campaign was designed to reignite the nation’s passion for British farming, British meat, and British dairy products. Under the surface, however, this campaign was actually a timed, calculated attack by Big Agriculture on the popular <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/sign-up-to-veganuary-every-month-can-be-veganuary-month" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Veganuary</a> movement, which had been gaining ground every January since its inception in 2014. In an attempt to drive home the benefits of eating animals, the “We Eat Balanced” campaign placed special importance on the inability of “foods of plant origin” to adequately provide naturally occurring vitamin B12 and iron. It is therefore clear that the objective of this campaign involved generating not only renewed interest in meat and dairy, but also public mistrust in the nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet. The animal agriculture industry, with the backing of larger bureaucratic bodies such as the ADHB, is actively engaging in both defensive and offensive manoeuvres to protect its interests. However, lobbyists for the meat and dairy industries have begun to recognise that persistent social movements (such as veganism) often tend to be quite robust and have the advantage of momentum. As such, Big Ag employs other tactics in its battle to protect farming businesses. In recent years, the animal agriculture industry has looked increasingly to language for protection. In 2017, the dairy industry successfully pressured EU courts to prohibit plant-based milk companies (such as Swedish brand Oatly) from using any milk- or dairy-related terminology in their branding or on their packaging. This legislation was a considerable blow to the plant-based milk industry, but it served to show the underlying fragility of Big Dairy. On the back of this recent success, European dairy attempted in 2020 to further ban the use of terms such as ‘creamy’ and ‘buttery’ on plant-based products, but fortunately this move was unsuccessful. These kinds of regulations are a significant tactical weapon in the animal industry’s arsenal. When a plant-based company can no longer legally refer to the very foodstuff that its products aim to imitate or replace, it becomes more difficult to market and sell those products. Their labels may become less visible, less appealing, and less illustrative. Those in the animal agriculture industry know this - and thus language becomes weaponised in their quest for market dominance. However, some companies have found innovative ways to draw attention to this while still advertising, such as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/this.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">THIS</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alpro/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Alpro</a> (with their <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbumtoEACEC/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">This Is Not M*lk range</a>), and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oatly/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Oatly</a> (with their message: “<a href="https://www.theinspiration.com/2022/03/oatly-we-cant-legally-call-this-ice-cream-but-you-still-can/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">we can’t legally call this ice cream, but you still can</a>”).&nbsp; In a recent landmark case, the government of France went one step further and passed a decree that intended to outlaw the use of any animal-related terminology on foods that contained no animal-derived ingredients; the new decree would pertain only to food produced in the country. However, this news prompted a swift backlash from many producers and manufacturers in France. After only three weeks, the decree was overturned by France’s highest court. The status of this decree is safe - for now.&nbsp; It is clear that ‘language’ is slowly becoming the main theatre in which Big Agriculture and veganism jostle for power. Whereas the animal agriculture industry tends to succeed in gatekeeping animal-related terminology, the vegan movement is not backing down. In fact, there is reasonable cause for optimism: plant-based food producers are constantly using new and innovative ways to market their products, often in comical and sarcastic ways.&nbsp; Read more about the <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/toeing-the-line-how-and-why-brands-use-funny-vegan-product-names" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">funny ways in which plant-based food companies toe the legislative lines</a>.

The word ‘banned’ written in white chalk banned crossed out on a blackboard

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How the animal agriculture industry uses language for protection


Companies that sell alternatives to meat and dairy products are generally prohibited from using words like ‘chicken’, ‘milk’, or ‘cheese’ to help describe and define their products. At its core, this is a result of persistent lobbying from the animal agriculture industry. Those involved in the exploitation of animals often want to prevent plant based food companies from ‘appropriating’ their language. This is certainly the case in the EU. Ever since a <a href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/eu-28-european-court-prohibits-use-dairy-names-non-dairy-products" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">European Court of Justice ruling in 2017</a>, plant based milk companies have been banned from using the word ‘milk’ both in their marketing and on their packaging. Take a stroll through your local supermarket: you are likely to see some pretty funny vegan product names in the free-from section. Instead of ‘soy milk’ and ‘almond milk’, you will probably notice products with names such as ‘oat drink’, ‘m*lk’, or just ‘soya’. Plant based food companies are forced to creatively rework their language in order to adhere to the law. To do so, they must improvise when naming and marketing their products. These names tend to come across as amusing - and, sometimes, a little sarcastic. <h2 class="ql-align-justify">A vegan play on words</h2>Perhaps the most notable way in which funny vegan food names find their way onto product packaging is with a play on words. This is displayed aptly in the plant based cheese sector. Take <a href="https://www.instagram.com/honestly.tasty/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Honestly Tasty</a>, a plant based cheese brand from London, as an example. Whilst they no longer market their <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOKab4qYaf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">award-winning</a> plant based blue cheese as ‘Veganzola’ (instead sold as ‘Blue’), they do retain a play on words for their camembert-style, almond-based <a href="https://honestlytasty.co.uk/collections/products/products/shamembert" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Shamembert</a>. Cheese-naming innovation is not the only string to Honestly Tasty’s bow – their cheeses are delicious, and belong on any plant based cheese board. It would be difficult to mention vegan cheese and play on words in the same sentence, without giving a shout out to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lafauxmagerie/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">La Fauxmagerie</a> – the first vegan cheesemonger in the UK, based in Shoreditch. Derived from the well-known word ‘fromage’, ‘fromagerie’ is the French term for ‘cheesemonger’. The clever people over at La Fauxmagerie not only remember their GCSE French, but they also know their cheese. Some of their classics include <a href="https://lafauxmagerie.com/collections/la-fauxmagerie/products/melting-faux-camembert" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Camemvert</a>, <a href="https://lafauxmagerie.com/collections/la-fauxmagerie/products/balham-blue" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Balham Blue</a>, and <a href="https://lafauxmagerie.com/collections/la-fauxmagerie/products/smokey-cheddah" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Shoreditch Smoked</a>. Outside the cheese world, many other brands also employ a play on words in their marketing. Of particular play-on-words fame is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vegetarianbutcher/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">The Vegetarian Butcher</a>, whose array of <a href="https://www.thevegetarianbutcher.co.uk/products/retail/impeckable-chicken-breast.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">impeccably-named</a> products is vast enough to warrant a dedicated article! In no particular order, their products include <a href="https://www.thevegetarianbutcher.co.uk/products/retail/what-the-cluck.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">What the Cluck</a> chicken-style chunks, the <a href="https://www.thevegetarianbutcher.co.uk/products/retail/good-karma-shawarma.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Good Karma Shawarma</a>, and the <a href="https://www.thevegetarianbutcher.co.uk/products/retail/frozen-patty-on-the-back.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Patty on the Back</a> vegan burger. Not all of their products are vegan, though, so make sure to check. <h2 class="ql-align-justify">Just, ‘no’</h2>Some plant based companies keep it simple, content with using nothing more than a form of ‘no’ or ‘not’ in their product names. This strategy is two-fold. Firstly, these names make it clear to the consumer that the product in question does not contain animal products. Secondly, they help to make it clear what animal product it aims to imitate. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lomalindauk/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Loma Linda</a> follows this philosophy with their <a href="https://thevegankind.com/p/loma-linda-tuno-mayo-can-142g" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">TUNO</a>, a plant based alternative to canned tuna. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crackd_it/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Crack’d</a> take a similar approach with their <a href="https://thevegankind.com/p/crackd-the-no-egg-egg-replacer-490g" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">No-Egg Egg</a>. Some companies even use this naming convention for products aimed at our canine friends; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thepackpet/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">The Pack</a> produces plant based dog food, with a range that includes the <a href="https://thepackpet.com/products/tasty-meals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">No-Moo Ragu</a>, the <a href="https://thepackpet.com/products/tasty-meals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">No-Cluck Casserole</a>, and the <a href="https://thepackpet.com/products/tasty-meals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">No-Fishy Dishy</a>. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/v-land/image/upload/v1666976449/Image_1_25_pic_2nd_edit1_13c66c7051.jpg" alt="Image 1 (25) pic 2nd edit1.jpg"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lomalindabrand/photos/3194108380872920" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Loma Linda</a> <h2 class="ql-align-justify">Vegan sarcasm</h2>Some of the UK’s best known plant based brands opt for sheer sarcasm in their marketing. Perhaps as an overly-explicit attempt to prevent the consumer from becoming confused, these companies use irony and sarcasm in a refreshing approach to plant based marketing. Here, it is nearly impossible to forget to mention <a href="https://www.instagram.com/this.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">THIS</a>, who are blunt but to-the-point when they tell the consumer that <a href="https://this.co/products/rashers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">This Isn’t Bacon</a> and that <a href="https://this.co/products/sea-salt-and-cracked-black-pepper/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">This Isn’t Chicken</a>. Alpro also tell the consumer in plain words that <a href="https://www.alpro.com/uk/products/not-mlk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">This Is Not M*lk</a>. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.oatly.com/en-gb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Oatly</a> aimed its crosshairs directly at EU legislators when they ran a campaign that read; “<a href="https://www.theinspiration.com/2022/03/oatly-we-cant-legally-call-this-ice-cream-but-you-still-can/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">we can’t legally call this ice cream, but you still can</a>”. This represented an unapologetic critique of the naming conventions by which plant based companies were legally forced to abide. These final examples just go to show that plant based companies – in one way or another – will always find innovative ways to tell the consumer what it is that their products aim to replace. As long as legislation is in place to regulate plant based companies, funny vegan product names are here to stay. Many plant based brands not mentioned here use similar, comical names. Some honourable ‘muncheons’ include: I am Nut OK’s <a href="https://www.iamnutok.com/shop/fetamorphosis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Fetamorphosis</a> and <a href="https://www.iamnutok.com/shop/bluffalo-notzzarella" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Bluffalo Notzarella</a>, Veg ‘An’ Love’s <a href="https://thevegankind.com/p/vegan-love-veg-an-love-shepherd-less-pie-408g" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Shepherd-less Pie</a>, Yogan’s <a href="https://thevegankind.com/p/yogan-vegandelphia-by-yogan-plain-spreadable-cheese-alternative-180g" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Vegandelphia</a> and Moo Free <a href="https://www.moofreechocolates.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Chocolate</a> If all of this talk of plant based cheese makes you feel hungry, go check out our article on the <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/vegan-artisan-cheese-worth-treating-yourself-to" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">best vegan artisan cheeses on the market</a>.

Funny vegan food product called ‘What The Cluck’ by The Vegetarian Butcher

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Toeing the line: How and why brands use funny vegan product names


Halloween has many different names across many different traditions: All Hallows Eve, Night of the Living Dead and Old Hallowmas to name a few. Yet, interestingly, Halloween’s origins have been documented to have originated in the ancient <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Celtic festival of Samhain</a>, one of many Sabbats that pagans celebrate in the <a href="https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-wheel-of-the-year-the-calendar-of-pagan-festivals-explained" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Wheel of the Year</a>, an ancient calendar system rooted in nature, giving thanks for the seasons and all that they provide us with. Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”) is the third and final harvest within the Wheel of the Year where traditionally, people would give thanks for the harvest, and say farewell to the summer before welcoming in the winter months with a mix of Samhain traditions and rituals. It is said that on the night where summer meets winter, the veil between worlds is at it’s thinnest, allowing the opportunity for spirits to slip through and visit lost loved ones, on the condition that they return to the land where spirits reside before the sun rises on the next day, and the veil between worlds is closed once more. Spooky to some, beautiful to others. Suffice to say, there is a lot more to this prominent date in the Gregorian calendar than what we see on television shows or in movies. So how did Samhain become Halloween, a holiday now celebrated across the globe with fancy dress costumes, trick or treating, and watching your favourite horror flick with friends? It is documented that during the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Day" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">All Saints Day</a>, a day dedicated to the worship of saints, and that holiday incorporated some of the pagan traditions of Samhain. The evening before All Saints’ Day was aptly called All<a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1913-10-26/ed-1/seq-73/#date1=1777&amp;index=12&amp;rows=20&amp;searchType=advanced&amp;language=&amp;sequence=0&amp;words=All+Eve+eve+hallow+Hallows&amp;proxdistance=5&amp;date2=1963&amp;ortext=&amp;proxtext=&amp;phrasetext=all+hallows+eve&amp;andtext=&amp;dateFilterType=yearRange&amp;page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </a>Hallows’ Eve, an evening to worship the saints, and the following day, All Souls’ Day, a day to worship those who have passed. Looking at the history of Halloween’s origins through a vegan lens, many Christians historically <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat-free_day" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">abstained from meat</a> on All Hallows' Eve, opting instead to eat certain vegetarian foods including apples, potato pancakes and soul cakes. With that thought in mind, here are some vegan-friendly Samhain rituals the whole family can enjoy for a fun-filled Halloween. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/v-land/image/upload/v1666535171/Image_one_18_pic_2_edit_1_0219cfa2b3.jpg" alt="Pumpkin flesh and seeds">RonomanJR/Canva Pro <h2>Pumpkin carving</h2>A tradition many already practise, believed to be Celtic in origin. A simple Samhain ritual affordable to most households to keep unwanted spirits at bay, and that is great fun for all ages. Simply cut the top off a pumpkin, scoop out the insides, carve in a design of your choice, then light a candle and place it inside your ‘lantern’ on the eve of Halloween. It is said to keep unwanted souls at bay.&nbsp; Fun fact: Some tell the tale of Stingy-Jack, a man in cohorts with Satan himself, there are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">many variations of his tale</a>, but the end result is the creation of Jack O’ Lanterns. Samhain offering: Take your unwanted pumpkins to woodland areas after 31st October has passed, and leave for any wildlife that passes, they’ll happily gobble it up and it also acts as a natural dewormer for our animal friends. <h2>Apple bobbing</h2>Another popular Samhain tradition that’s fun for all ages is apple bobbing. In Celtic traditions apples are a sign of fertility and abundance. During frivolities on the eve of Samhain people would try to bite into an apple bobbing in water, and the first to take a bite would be the next in line to marry. To try this at home simply fill a large bucket with water and get dunking.&nbsp; Fun fact: If you cut into an apple sideways, you will find a pentagram, a symbol prominent throughout history and often used as a sigil for protection and abundance, often associated with witchcraft and prominent within Wiccan rituals and rites. Samhain offering: Keep the seeds and get planting. <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/get-involved/our-campaigns/defend-nature" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Nature is struggling</a> and apples are a great food source for many wild animals and insects. <h2>Honouring the dead</h2>Perhaps one of the most sought after aspects of this tradition is the opportunity to make contact with lost loved ones. The Celts were firm believers that on the night where summer ends and winter begins, spirits roamed freely as the veil between worlds was at its thinnest. This is the perfect night to write a letter to someone you’ve lost, light a candle in their memory, or for those brave of heart, try to connect with them through divination.&nbsp; Fun fact: Pagans would often leave spirits offerings of hospitality, for example; those that harvested grain, would create a corn dolly. Scary to some, endearing to others! Samhain offering: Leave a dish with a lost loved one's favourite food out overnight. If it’s gone in the morning perhaps they received it, or you’ll have given a wandering fox a full tummy on a cold night. <h2>Trick or treating</h2>Perhaps the most well known of Samhain traditions and rituals is that of trick or treating. And whilst pagans did not partake in this particular activity, it is pagan in origin. On the night where spirits roamed free, people would often don a disguise of their own so as not to come into contact with any evil spirits that may have crossed over. That combined with the tradition of honouring the dead with food, has since become the tradition enjoyed today. Fun fact: The first ever trick or treaters would visit the houses of wealthy families and receive pastries called soul cakes in exchange for a promise to pray for the souls of the homeowners’ dead relatives. Children later took up the practice and it has since evolved into the most prominent tradition associated with the 31st of October. Samhain offering: Along with offering sweet treats, add a few fruit options in your bowl, you’ll be surprised how many children take them! We wish each and every V-Lander a very vegan Halloween and a Blessed Samhain, whichever way you choose to spend it. Here’s some <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/vegan-trick-or-treat-sweets-worth-stocking-up-on-this-halloween" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">vegan trick or treat sweets to enjoy</a>, and <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/5-vegan-chocolate-bar-brands-to-add-to-your-shopping-list" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">chocolate bars to add to your shopping list</a> to stock up for the night, and embrace the fact that any holiday can be a vegan one.

pumpkin and other fare showing Halloween’s origins

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Halloween’s origins: Vegan-friendly Samhain traditions

This year is the festival’s 75th anniversary. It is back with a bang after a COVID-induced lull that saw it cancelled in 2020 and scaled back in 2021. The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/edfringe/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Fringe</a> came into existence when a relatively small group of eight theatre companies took over unconventional spaces to put on their shows. It has grown in size and stature since those early days and this year there are close to 3,500 productions across hundreds of venues. These venues include many unusual spaces in bars, churches, universities, temporary tents and units, and the like.&nbsp; While close to a third of the shows are comedy, there is a wonderfully eclectic mix of serious theatre, dance, circus, cabaret, and so much more. If it is not already in your diary, it is running until 29th August so there is still time to plan a trip. Here at V-Land we were fortunate enough to spend a few days in the city for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s opening weekend and we wrote about our experience of it through a vegan lens.&nbsp;&nbsp; <h2>Food</h2>Edinburgh punches above its weight for vegan restaurants and plant-based options. You certainly won’t go hungry given the many tantalising delicacies calling out to be sampled. During The Fringe there are additional street food vendors hoping to nourish the countless festival goers. Many did have vegan options but it lacked any dedicated vegan vendor. Plant-based haggis, falafel, dumplings and pies were all on offer. The pies were particularly tasty and we tried both of their vegan options; curried cauliflower and mushroom. It was disappointing that the mash contained dairy but we swapped it out for mushy peas and it also came with a generous dollop of tomato relish. The flavour combinations worked really well and the mash was not missed. When it came to breakfast, we focused on the permanent local eateries. This was a recurring highlight as we sought to set ourselves up for the day’s marathon of shows. On the first morning in Edinburgh we headed to a vegan bakery - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blackrabbitedinburgh/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Black Rabbit</a>. Their generously portioned ‘BLT’ was complemented with a latte and cruffin. A cruffin is a hybrid of a croissant and a muffin and the one chosen was filled with raspberry jam and custard. From our point of view, a trip to Edinburgh just for food and this custard filled cruffin alone would be perfectly justified. The second morning saw us make two pit stops. First was waffles and coffee at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lpcedinburgh/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Love, Peace &amp; Coffee</a> followed by another Edinburgh vegan bakery, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/considerit_chocolate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Considerit</a>. Considerit specialises in doughnuts but also serves ice cream, chocolate and coffee. The doughnut choices are insane and even include a savoury option. We narrowed it down to the s’more, lemon &amp; black sesame and Biscoff. It’s almost impossible to choose which was our favourite. Our final morning resulted in a visit to the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/naked_bakery/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Naked Bakery</a> where we ordered the full Scottish breakfast, pastries and cupcakes. The café’s vibrant cakes and pink theme is more than enough to brighten anyone’s day. Of course we only sampled a small number of the possibilities so for many more vegan food options across the city check out <a href="https://www.happycow.net/searchmap?s=3&amp;location=Edinburgh%2C+Scotland&amp;filters=vegan-vegetarian-bakery&amp;metric=mi&amp;limit=81&amp;order=default&amp;lat=55.96349502710252&amp;lng=-3.1839226881145226&amp;zoom=11.5&amp;page=1&amp;radius=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Happy Cow</a> or the dedicated <a href="https://veganedinburgh.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Vegan Edinburgh</a> listings website. <h2>Theatre</h2>With a myriad of shows to choose from it was surprising to discover just one that referenced veganism in its listing. The show <a href="https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/chris-hall-and-mark-bittlestone-two-sour-gays" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Chris Hall and Mark Bittlestone: Two Sour Gays</a> describes itself as “A stand-up comedy show about being gay! And about being vegan (Chris), getting piles (Mark), collecting crystals (Chris), getting piles (Mark), being in love (Chris) and getting piles (Mark).” Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the show as it was fully booked. Definitely one to look out for in hope that they take it on tour.&nbsp; In a show that features the best up-and-coming one-liner comedians we got to see <a href="https://instagram.com/adelecliffcomedy?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Adele Cliff</a>. She is the proud winner of the best joke at the Edinburgh Fringe four years running. They were only given a 5-minute slot but during this time she happened to state she was a vegan. Her main show <a href="https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/adele-cliff-in-the-dark" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Adele Cliff: In the Dark</a> describes itself as “Knowledge is power, power corrupts, corruption is bad, Adele is good. Come see why Adele thinks ignorance is bliss.” When questioned she told us she does mention veganism in her show but it is only in passing. Of course there will be many vegan performers we don’t know about but it was nice to stumble across one while navigating the plethora of weird and wonderful possibilities.&nbsp; Of the shows we did see, veganism was mentioned in quite a few of them. This is obviously a reflection of its increasing popularity as it was not as prominent in previous years. The question is, will any of them be awarded the best joke at the Edinburgh Fringe this year? Here’s a sample from those told for you to decide: • An asexual comedian stated that one of his previous boyfriends was vegan, which actually meant neither of them were a fan of meat. • Another said that many vegans and vegetarians have cats, which just means they outsource their meat consumption. • One called out David Attenborough for preaching about the death of the planet when he isn’t actually vegan himself. • Finally, another said his ex was vegan and put him under pressure to care more but he didn’t even care about his friends so why would he care about chickens. For further food inspiration in Scotland we have listed our picks of <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/edinburgh-and-glasgow-s-best-vegan-food" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Edinburgh and Glasgow's best vegan food</a>.

 black and grey microphone on a stand, behind it is a theatre with multiple stands and red lights

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Edinburgh Festival Fringe through a vegan lens

Veganism is as popular as ever in 2022. With so many people looking towards a plant-based diet for the animals, for their health and the environment, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/weareveganuary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Veganuary</a> participants were at an all-time high. It's little wonder that we are educating ourselves about our impact on the earth when we have so many strong vegan role models to look up to, and along with public figures, activists and business professionals, there are many vegan musicians who have made the switch too. Here's a list of some of our favourite vegan music artists. <h2>Lizzo</h2>A fairly new vegan, <a href="https://instagram.com/lizzobeeating?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Lizzo</a> decided to switch to a plant-based diet in 2020, after being vegetarian for seven years and then ditching dairy altogether. The Grammy Award-winning songstress posted a Tiktok to tell her fans about the switch saying "As a new vegan I’m enjoying exploring flavours from plants and plant-based proteins!". <h2>Billie Eilish</h2><a href="https://instagram.com/billieeilish?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Billie Eilish</a> was raised vegetarian before making the decision at around twelve years old to go vegan. After making such a strong choice at such a young age, Billie, like many vegan celebrities, uses her spotlight to expose the truth about animal agriculture and encourage fans to go vegan. <h2>Jason Mraz</h2><a href="https://instagram.com/jason_mraz?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Jason Mraz</a> first adopted a plant-based diet for its health benefits in 2011. Telling fans that he was “feeling stronger, fitter, healthier and more productive” which he also suggested improved his performance in the bedroom!&nbsp; <h2>Moby</h2>Although it won't be news to anybody that <a href="https://instagram.com/moby?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Moby</a> is vegan, he's been vegan since 1987, we couldn't let such commitment to animal welfare pass our list by. Moby famously told Rolling Stone that he went vegan at nineteen, all because of his cat Tucker, and that he “would do anything to protect him and make him happy and keep him from harm. I would never in a trillion years think of hurting this cat. So why am I eating other animals who have four, or two, legs, two eyes, amazing brains, and rich emotional lives?" We couldn't have put it better ourselves! <h2>Sia</h2>Australian singer <a href="https://instagram.com/siamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Sia Furler</a> revealed in 2014 that she was vegan, the owner of a vegan restaurant that she had visited invited her to stop by again to which she replied "I will! I'm fully vegan now!" She has since worked on a <a href="https://www.peta.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">PETA</a> campaign to help end animal homelessness. She told Fortune Magazine "I became a vegetarian because of my dogs. Knowing that cows and chickens could feel and care and empathise, just like my pups, drew me to want to do more to support them." <h2>Ariana Grande&nbsp;</h2><a href="https://instagram.com/arianagrande?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Ariana</a> has been a vocal activist in the vegan community since announcing that she had become vegan in 2013. She told the mirror "I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding." Although Ariana Grande's heritage is Italian, her favourite vegan cuisine is Japanese food.&nbsp; <h2>Will.i.am</h2><a href="https://instagram.com/iamwill?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Will.i.am</a> went vegan in 2018 while pursuing a healthier lifestyle after discovering he had high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The <a href="http://www.instagram.com/blackeyedpeas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Black Eyed Peas</a> vocalist has openly discussed the health benefits he found in veganism and the corruption within the food industry. Will.i.am posted a video to Instagram highlighting the importance of plant-based diets and wrote that vegans were “a group of people taking a hardcore gangster approach to wellness and conscious living.” <h2>Erykah Badu</h2>Neo soul queen, best-selling author, wellness advocate and vegan music artist <a href="https://instagram.com/erykahbadu?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Erykah Badu</a> stopped eating meat in the late 1980s and went vegan in 1997. In the 2003 documentary Holistic Wellness for the Hip-Hop Generation she discussed what it means to be healthy and the dangers of low-quality food. <h2>Travis Barker</h2><a href="https://instagram.com/travisbarker?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Travis Barker</a> has been vegan since surviving a tragic plane crash in 2008, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blink182/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">the blink-182</a> drummer's experience inspired him to focus on his health and take up a plant-based diet. He had been a vegetarian since the age of thirteen but now enjoys a healthy vegan and gluten-free diet. He also helps his wife <a href="https://instagram.com/kourtneykardash?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Kourtney Kardashian</a>, to maintain a mostly plant-based lifestyle, she is committed to mindful and meat-free eating and claims to be ninety per cent vegan.<h2> </h2><h2>Brian May</h2><a href="https://instagram.com/officialqueenmusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Queen</a> guitarist and animal activist <a href="https://instagram.com/brianmayforreal?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Brian May</a> went vegan in 2020 after trying <a href="https://instagram.com/weareveganuary?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Veganuary</a>. He formed the campaigning group <a href="https://savemetrust.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Save Me</a> focusing on protecting wild animals and has been very outspoken about the link between animal agriculture and the pandemic. We hope you enjoyed our roundup of vegan music artists, who are your favourite vegan celebrities? Leave a comment on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/vlanduk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Instagram</a> and let us know who we've missed! You may also want to check out our list of <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/8-famous-uk-vegans-to-follow-on-social-media" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">eight famous UK vegans to follow on social media</a> and find out <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/are-there-many-vegan-tv-characters" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">are there many vegan TV characters?</a>

man signing into a microphone on stage with lightning and smoke behind him holding his hand in the air with four fingers shown

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Vegan music legends 

There's an electric buzz in the air. <a href="https://instagram.com/boomtownfairofficial?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Boomtown Festival</a> will open their gates tomorrow to thousands of die-hard party-goers for the first time since 2019. And it's not just the colourful acts, late night raving and newly found festival friends that we're excited for. Because not many festivals cater to the vegan movement quite like Boomtown does.&nbsp; From vegan vendors to plant-based artists, there's a whole host of activities for vegans to enjoy. And if you're feeling nervous, excited or simply curious about what's on at Boomtown this year, this one's for you!&nbsp; So, without further ado, here's the vegan's guide to Boomtown 2022. <h2>Where to eat?</h2>You're absolutely spoiled for choice when it comes to vegan food at Boomtown. For 2022, they've opted for a 50-50 split between veggie and meat vendors. And out of those veggie vendors, a large proportion are either fully vegan or have vegan options.&nbsp; While we can't explore every vegan vendor at Boomtown this year (the article would be massive), here are a few of our faves: <h2>Vegan Vice</h2>Vegan Vice are heavyweights in the vegan street food game. In fact, they even made a name for themselves selling vegan burgers across some of the UK's biggest festivals, before setting up their flagship restaurant in Cambridge. And as their name suggests, <a href="https://instagram.com/veganvice.club?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Vegan Vice</a> are 100% vegan! Given Vegan Vice's prestige within the festival community, it's only right they have a place at the Boomtown celebrations. Their menu contains a tantalising mix of burgers, fried chick'n, wraps and some sensational sides.&nbsp; If it's your first time eating at Vegan Vice, I recommend ordering the “Original Vice.” It's the meal that made Vegan Vice what it is today. This absolute classic consists of a flame-grilled patty, homemade ketchup, tangy mustard, fresh salad and juicy gherkins — delicious! While you're at it, why not indulge yourself with some of Vegan Vice's loaded fries? With a choice of spicy, cheeze-y or BBQ, there's a little something for everyone.&nbsp; <h2>Happy Maki</h2>After a hard day’s dancing in the festival sun, there's nothing better than re-energising with <a href="https://instagram.com/thehappymaki?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Happy Maki</a>'s mouthwatering vegan sushi wraps. They're an absolute must try — even for non-vegans! If you've never had a sushi wrap before, think of it as halfway between sushi and a burrito. You have all your typical sushi ingredients: rice, veggies, seaweed wrap etc, but make it burrito sized. It's essentially plant-based love wrapped in seaweed. You'll see when you get there! Can’t decide what to feast on at Happy Maki? I recommend ordering my personal favourite, the "hoisin duck wrap." It contains crispy seasoned vegan duck, crisp cucumber, fresh avocado and a tasty teriyaki sauce.&nbsp; When you're looking for something to wash all that down, Happy Maki sells a gut-friendly and wholesome "green juice" made from cucumber, apple and ginger. The perfect opportunity to claw back some much needed vitamins and minerals after all that late night raving. <h2>Popdogs</h2>Love vegan hotdogs? You'll love <a href="https://instagram.com/popdogsofficial?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Popdogs</a>.&nbsp; If you like a bit of a giggle, you'll love the Popdogs menu. With item names ranging from "70 year old toddler" to the risqué "sloppy D", they certainly have a sense of humour. Now, onto the dogs themselves! From the American classic to Asian-inspired dogs, Popdogs has it all. Most of their options take inspiration from cultural dishes around the world and fuse them together with a luscious plant-based sausage.&nbsp; So, whether you're looking for something to keep you going for the night ahead or you need a pick-me-up from the dutty hangover in the morning, Popdogs has what it takes to put a smile on your face.&nbsp; If you're unsure of what to order, I personally recommend the “Fresh Prince”. It's Popdogs take on the Philly cheese steak served hotdog style, and it tastes divine. Now go channel your inner Will Smith and try it for yourself. Just try not to deck any comedians while you're at it.&nbsp; <h2>Conclusion</h2>With festival season in full swing, it's great to see major festivals like Boomtown putting in the effort to cater to vegans. It's great for the people. Great for the animals. And, of course, great for the planet, too. While you're at Boomtown this year, make sure to check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bobbyvylan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Bob Vylan</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evalazarus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Eva Lazarus</a> – two amazing acts that just so happen to be vegan. So get out there and get dancing. Catch you there! If you are a parent and enjoy a slightly different festival experience without all the crowds you may like to read about our experience at <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/vegan-kids-festival-the-ultimate-vegan-festival-for-families" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">The Vegan Kids Festival</a>.&nbsp;

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The vegan guide to Boomtown Festival

Vegan artists are activating empathy and outrage through their art. Utilising meme culture to satirise and expose the exploitative animal industry, drawing out the vulnerabilities and sentience of nature, and reminding us of our responsibilities to care for our animal family. Here are a few vegan artists to check out and share:&nbsp; <h2>Dina Farris Appel&nbsp;</h2>Even the title of Dina Farris Appel’s painting “<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/515467383/vegan-art-vegan-art-vegan-art-print-cow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Not Your Mum, Not Your Milk</a>” successfully prosecutes our guilt in stealing another's precious lifeforce. Most adults wouldn’t fancy human milk in tea, so it seems odd to accept milk from udders in so many walks of human life.&nbsp; Appel’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vegan_artist_dina/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Instagram</a> provides vegan and environmental art and insights into art materials that are not vegan: “Some coloured pencils have beeswax, and Crayola crayons have animal products in them.” Were you aware of paint brushes made with animal hair, paints containing charred animal bones, and gelatin within certain paper types? Definitely one to follow and you can order her artwork via her <a href="https://www.etsy.com/ie/people/dinaappel1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Etsy shop</a> too. <h2>Choice Bison</h2><a href="https://www.instagram.com/choicebison/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Choice Bison</a> was commissioned to create a vegan <a href="https://www.peta.org/blog/choice-bison-mural-killing-animals-is-killing-us-all/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">mural in Brooklyn</a>, “Killing Animals is Killing Us All: Go Vegan”, bringing to attention the inhumane slaughterhouse conditions both animals and employees inhabit. This painting is more honest than any advert, or cookery show encouraging meat consumption. “It’s time to question the sanity in normalcy - especially when it comes to our relationships with animals,” says Bison.&nbsp; From larger-than-life murals, and political activist art, to tiny exhibitions, Bison is also a sought-after <a href="https://www.instagram.com/choicebison/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">tattoo artist</a>.&nbsp; <h2>Barbara Daniels</h2><a href="http://www.instagram.com/barbaradanielsart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Barbara Daniels</a> is renowned for reversing the roles that humans and animals play in modern day society in order to raise awareness, and gain empathy, by reimagining the world from an animal’s perspective as an artistic focus. Barbara states, “The goal of my art is not to preach about what’s right or wrong, but simply to hold a mirror up to humanity and imagine life from the perspective of the many species dominated by the human race.” And we have to say, Barbara achieves this poignantly. Her latest art book, ‘<a href="https://www.barbaradanielsart.com/dominion-over-man/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Dominion over Man</a>’ is out now. <h2>Chantal Poulin Durocher</h2>Canadian artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chantal_poulin_durocher_artist/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Chantal Poulin Durocher</a> not only rescues dogs in Panama but has mastered capturing sentience through painting. After classical art training at the Mission Renaissance Fine Art Institute, Chantal Poulin Durocher has crafted a unique fusion of classical and contemporary work. Committed to more than a “mere pictorial research or the aesthetic goal.” Her piece <a href="https://www.chantalpoulindurocher.com/8vv6yw94nkmrys23nv0y8up0hfube7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">We Are The Same</a> perfectly demonstrates how imagery speaks louder than words: superimposing human and cow - breaking our dissociation with nature. Using fine lines echoes our detailed and sensitive symbiosis with nature.&nbsp; Chantal Poulin Durocher recognises the influence art has on our senses:&nbsp;“I really feel I have a little mission, to show the beauty, the sensibility, the similarity and the vulnerability of the animals through my art.” <h2>Jo Frederiks</h2>Animal rights activist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jofrederiks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Jo Frederiks</a> punches through with hard-hitting narratives of atrocities in animal agriculture. Frederiks uses graphite and oil paint to use storytelling techniques by subverting the familiar, such as reframing the famous Uncle Sam’s “We Need You!” poster proclaiming <a href="https://www.jofrederiksart.com/juiedprxatj1b5393wjwg6nhjk65wu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">“</a><a href="https://www.jofrederiksart.com/juiedprxatj1b5393wjwg6nhjk65wu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">I Want You to Stop</a><a href="https://www.jofrederiksart.com/juiedprxatj1b5393wjwg6nhjk65wu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">”</a> in her piece Stop the Insanity. Her art forces us to look at our culture of hypocrisy with paintings such as “Why Love One and Kill the Other?” Whereby severed farm animal heads lay on a barbeque alongside domestic animal heads.&nbsp;&nbsp; In a candid interview with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/veganorigo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Vegan Origo</a>, Frederiks shares how going vegan changed her precarious relationship with food: “Becoming vegan shifted my focus from being very self-absorbed about my body and how much I could or couldn't eat, to an entirely different viewpoint - animal liberation - it was no longer all about me.”&nbsp;&nbsp; Activist art, whether via murals, posters, tattoos, prints or sculpture, elicits questions around topics that can sometimes be hard to engage with through conversation alone. If you have a favourite vegan artist who challenges and inspires let us know on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/vlanduk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Instagram</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/vlandukmag" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Twitter</a>, we’d love to hear from you!&nbsp;For more alternative activism approaches, check out <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/the-greening-of-literature-perspectives-of-a-vegan-publisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">vegan literature</a> as a form of activism.

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Art as activism: Vegan artists to follow on Instagram

Looking for something to watch tonight? Look no further, we’ve compiled a list of the most eye-opening must-see vegan shows and documentaries for vegans and non-vegans to binge-watch.&nbsp; <h2><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80234791" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">The Milk System</a> </h2>The Milk System looks at the billion-pound milk industry and uncovers surprising truths. Interviewing farmers, dairy owners, politicians, lobbyists, NGOs and scientists, this docufilm asks what the costs are and what the future of the milk industry will be. Not to be confused with the multi-award-winning <a href="https://milked.film/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Milked documentary</a> which is equally jaw-dropping. Both films are available on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/netflix" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Netflix</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbearnetwork/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Waterbear</a> and are a must-watch! <h2><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.ceb96f18-5698-5b30-7c88-f238c6a57f85?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">What the Health</a> </h2><a href="https://www.instagram.com/wthfilm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">What the Health</a> follows animal activists <a href="http://www.instagram.com/kipanderson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Kip Andersen</a> and <a href="http://www.instagram.com/firstsparkmedia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Keegan Kuhn</a> as they embark on a quest to expose the inconsistencies consumers are told about what foods are healthy and why. This eye-opening docufilm expertly portrays what the food pyramid should look like, and also relays the benefits a plant-based diet has on chronic illnesses. Other health-focused vegan documentaries include <a href="http://www.instagram.com/gamechangersmovie" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Game Changers</a> and <a href="http://www.instagram.com/forksoverknives" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Forks Over Knives</a>, all are available to watch on Netflix. <h2><a href="https://eating2extinction.com/the-movie/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Eating Our Way To Extinction</a>&nbsp;</h2>Narrated by Kate Winslet, this film takes viewers on a journey around every corner of the globe, exploring the story of our ever-changing planet. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/eating2extinction/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Eating Our Way To Extinction</a> is a powerful documentary delving into how our dietary lifestyles are bringing our planet to the brink of collapse, and is available to watch on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/primevideouk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Amazon Prime</a>. <h2><a href="https://www.seaspiracy.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Seaspiracy</a></h2>In this thought-provoking documentary, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/seaspiracy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Seaspiracy</a> director Kip Anderson lifts the veil on ‘sustainability’ and ‘responsibly sourced’ fish, uncovering the harrowing realities of the fishing industry and its devastating effects on both the ocean and marine life. Kip Andersen is also the director of the documentary <a href="https://www.cowspiracy.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Cowspiracy</a> – another must-see film primarily focusing on the environmental effects of beef production with life-changing insights. Both docufilms are available to watch on Netflix. <h2><a href="http://www.nationearth.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Earthlings</a>&nbsp;</h2>Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor and vegan activist Joaquin Phoenix, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/earthlingsfilm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Earthlings</a> is a pivotal starting point in many people going vegan. It was the catalyst for renowned vegan activist Ed Winters and the reasoning behind his more commonly known name of <a href="http://www.instagram.com/earthlinged" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Earthling Ed</a>. Earthlings covers many of the acts humans participate in that are harmful towards our fellow earthlings, leaving no stone unturned, and we must warn, it is hard to watch. Other animal rights documentaries that highlight the treatment of animals but that are more animal agriculture focused include, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/dominionmovement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Dominion</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/theendofmeat" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">The End of Meat</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hogwood-modern-horror-Jerome-Flynn/dp/B08B8VDRSL" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Hogwood - A Modern Horror Story</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/thelastpigfilm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">The Last Pig</a> &nbsp;and <a href="http://www.instagram.com/landofhopeandgloryfilm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Land Of Hope and Glory</a>.&nbsp;For those not fond of documentaries, a fantastic film available on Netflix is <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80091936" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Okja</a>, the tale of a young girl and her rescue mission to save her animal companion from slaughter. Cast includes Hollywood stars <a href="http://www.instagram.com/jakegyllenhaal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Jake Gyllenhaal</a>, Tilda Swinton and Paul Dano.&nbsp; Our list could go on, with more enthralling vegan shows being released each year, but we thought we’d round up with three additional shows that may not be vegan, but still well worth watching. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/v-land/image/upload/v1657226445/Image_1_12_pic_2_edit_23c933e2c8.jpg" alt="Image 1 (12) pic 2 edit.jpg"><a href="https://www.beforetheflood.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Before The Flood</a> <h2><a href="https://www.beforetheflood.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Before the Flood</a> </h2>Directed by <a href="http://www.instagram.com/fisherstevens" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Fisher Stevens</a>, <a href="https://www.beforetheflood.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Before The Flood</a> multi-award-winning Hollywood actor and environmentalist <a href="http://www.instagram.com/leonardodicaprio" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Leonardo DiCaprio</a> as he looks at how climate change affects our planet and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet. Whilst it doesn’t focus heavily on animal agriculture as a main contributor, it highlights many human activities that urgently need to change if we’re to avert the truly cataclysmic turn of events heading our way if we continue on our current path. Available to watch on Netflix and the Disney Channel. <h2><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8618654/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Kiss the Ground</a> </h2>Narrated by vegan <a href="https://www.instagram.com/woodyharrelson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Woody Harrelson</a>, this documentary discusses regenerative agriculture, a movement that looks to rebalance our world, turn back climate change, feed the world, avert the biodiversity crisis and replenish the planet's water supplies. <a href="https://instagram.com/kissthegroundmovie?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Kiss The Ground</a> is available to watch on Netflix. <h2><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80230601" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Down to Earth with Zac Effron</a>&nbsp;</h2>This eight-part series takes <a href="http://www.instagram.com/zacefron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Zac Effron</a> around the world exploring nature, living sustainability, and green energy. Along the way it is peppered with other activities you’d expect from a travel show. For the most part it is light entertainment, but does touch on important issues and is a lighter watch, not as heavy as some other environmental docuseries. Available to watch on Netflix. <h2><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Super-Size-Me-Morgan-Spurlock/dp/B07M5Q7M84" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(75, 172, 72); background-color: transparent;">Super Size Me</a> </h2>Morgan Spurlock goes on a quest to eat McDonald’s for thirty days, for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the effects are truly horrifying, accurately showing how fast food can affect our health. Super Size Me explores the physical and psychological changes that occur during the month-long challenge and is a stark reminder not to overindulge in junk food. Have we missed your favourite vegan show from our list? Share it with us on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/vlanduk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Instagram</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/vlandukmag" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">Twitter</a> we’d love to hear from you!&nbsp;Now that you have your viewing sorted, why not focus on your music? Check out our article on <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/vegan-music-legends" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">vegan music legends</a>.

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Too good to miss: Vegan shows to binge-watch

Having trouble with the whole veganism vs. culture thing? Don’t worry! We’ve got your back! Here are 5 tips that can be used to tie your culture in with veganism!&nbsp; Whether you are Caribbean, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Latina; no matter what your ethnic background is, we understand it can be difficult to adjust to the vegan life with so many limitations around our cultures - especially if the culture is heavily influenced by meat or animal-derived products. <h2>Get creative </h2>Substitute meat/fish for alternatives like potatoes, veggies, beans and pulses. You show them where you get your protein! It’s very easy to substitute meat; it may be hard for new vegans, however as you slowly progress, it becomes something natural: eventually it no longer feels like substituting at all! Blend up some veggies; boil some lentils and potatoes, maybe even use protein-packed alternatives like seitan or soy. Add it to the dishes you love, season your food and play around with textures! Start to enjoy the process and create a relationship with the food you eat. <h2>Research into natural and vegan cosmetics for your specific type of skin and hair type</h2>Hair and skin can be a pretty big factor, but a little research can go a long way. There are many affordable, vegan and cruelty-free products such as <a href="https://www.cantubeauty.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cantu</a> hair care line &amp; <a href="https://deciem.com/en-ca/theordinary/theordinary-hair" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Ordinary</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.sukinnaturals.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sukin</a> skincare line. Shea butter, cocoa butter and rosewater are all great cheaper options as vegan moisturisers for the skin and hair! Look at ingredients in detail, not only checking that they are vegan but also make sure that they truly bring benefits to your skin in the long run. Try multiple routines and find the right one for you, this is especially important for kinky/curly hair types or those of us with a darker skin tone. Follow <a href="https://instagram.com/cassandrabankson?utm_medium=copy_link" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cassandra Bankson</a>, she showcases the best vegan skin care products your face and body can absorb. Become a vegan ‘skintellectual’. <h2>Buy some vegan cookbooks around your culture (or even regular cookbooks and substitute the meat)&nbsp;</h2>Vegan cookbooks such as Original Flava’s Caribbean vegan cookbook <a href="https://www.instagram.com/originalflava/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Natural Flava</a> by Craig &amp; Shaun McAnuff has an array of mouth-watering Caribbean recipes. Another great book is <a href="https://eatfeelfresh.com/book/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eat Feel Fresh</a> – a plant-based Ayurveda cookbook by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamsahararose/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sahara Rose Ketabi</a>. Cookbooks are very good for getting some inspiration around your cooking and do wonders for helping you find the most convenient recipes for the week. This broadens the spectrum of playing around with your food while adding your own cultural authentic twist.&nbsp; Whatever you choose to cook, make sure you’re comfortable eating it! As much as we want to keep our meals as authentic as possible, don’t be afraid to follow a cookbook and perhaps add your own seasonings to adjust the meal to your palette. <h2>Watch Youtubers, read blogs and go to events (online or in-person) to learn more about adjusting to veganism within your culture</h2>There’s something for everyone! Getting information about food, cosmetics and your wellbeing throughout your vegan journey is very important, especially when it comes to specific cultures and perhaps being in an area where certain items aren’t easily accessible. Try a quick Google or YouTube search, ‘(Insert country) vegan food’ or ‘Vegan products for curly/kinky hair’ or ‘Vegan online seminars/zoom’. Maybe have a look on <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eventbrite</a> at vegan events near you. Sometimes there are physical events such as cooking classes, talks, skincare &amp; beauty classes, fitness &amp; much more. Looking into blogs, videos and events will expand your possibilities and vegan journey. <h2>Remember your veganism doesn’t make you any less authentic than anyone else</h2>Take pride in your veganism and if it’s not traditional, make it a part of your tradition by adding small things to suit you. After all, authenticity is a very fine line. ‘Authentic’ is different for everyone: stay fully aware and remind yourself that you are taking part in your own culture in a way that doesn’t harm anyone or anything.&nbsp; We have all received some form of criticism on our vegan journey, where someone has mentioned that we are no longer a part of our culture - they try to strip us from our ethnic background, in my case they comment that, ‘You are not a Jamaican anymore’. That’s simply not true. You know who you are, don’t forget that! Encourage yourself through this journey! If the interplay of religion and veganism is intriguing to you, check out <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/is-a-buddhist-diet-vegan-it-s-more-complex-than-you-d-think" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">is a Buddhist diet vegan? It’s more complex than you'd think</a>.

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How to tie your culture in with veganism: Vegans of Colour

You’ve transformed into a chicken. Feathers and a darting head. Looking down, you see your chicken feet. Surrounded by the noises of clucking, whirring machinery, and the shuffling of your chicken friends. Are you dreaming? Or was that virtual reality (VR)? Vegan activists, directors, and artists are embracing technologies to give us insights into the lives of animals. <a href="https://www.peta.org/blog/petas-innovative-virtual-reality-experience-turns-chicken/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I, Chicken</a>, is a VR experience whereby you are a cartoon chicken going through your day. Eating, walking, and finally on the conveyor belt up to the machinery that will kill you. Participants have reported feeling more empathetic towards the plight of a farmed chicken due to gaining a closeness with the animal’s situation.&nbsp; If you are unfamiliar with the impact of using a VR headset, let me give you an example of how dramatic it can feel: I click on a channel, not knowing where I would find myself. I was standing in a helicopter, travelling over canyons. It felt so realistic, I had to take my headset off as I’m scared of heights.&nbsp; Don’t worry, not all VR is scary. I use a dance game that allows me to be a bad dancer in the privacy of my bedroom: I've travelled underwater with live footage iridescent rainbowfish circling me, and I’ve meditated in majestic forests.&nbsp; VR’s immersive world-building tricks our brains into thinking it’s real. You are propelled into an immediacy that requires you to interact, and the heightened stimulation of being in an alternate 3D narrative is novel. You are compelled to give the experience your full attention.&nbsp; I, Chicken was exhibited on a tour around American universities. Feedback from student participants supported the notion that it’s hard to empathise with animals when we are so far away from their journeys, and that this VR experience was an effective way of getting information out to people and changing their perceptions.&nbsp; <a href="https://instagram.com/animalequality?utm_medium=copy_link" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Animal Equality</a> has developed <a href="https://ianimal360.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">iAnimal</a>, which exposes factory farming via secret filming, via a 360-degree perspective of the lives of cows, pigs, and chickens. This is hard-hitting footage and has been taken to the streets to show the general public. Viewers not only see the plights these factory farmed animals face but are given the space to ask the campaigners questions, making people feel like they are part of the conversation. Combining VR with campaigning events can start to break down the barriers and help us to work collectively.&nbsp;&nbsp; Another striking way VR can bring us closer to the animal world without the need for zoos or intruding on at-risk ecosystems, are immersive documentaries such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phoria.com.au/projects/ecosphere/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ecosphere</a>, whereby you can “Explore the great savannahs of Kenya, discover the ancient jungles of Borneo and dive into the rich coral reefs of Raja Ampat”.&nbsp; Last time I saw an elephant was many years ago in India. It was chained up. I was asked if I wanted to ride it - I didn’t. I wanted to see it doing its own thing, in its own environment, walking around, picking leaves. I’ve never wanted to visit an actor in a cage. I can happily watch them in a film. Experiencing ecosphere, I was face-to-face with an elephant. Its trunk curiously moved towards me. I was meters away from families of elephants, their relaxed pacing through the savannas of Kenya. I got a vivid sense of their enormity and got close enough to enjoy the sounds of them crunching leaves.&nbsp;&nbsp; If we are to cut down on our carbon footprint and avoid flying, VR provides an alternative for exploration. Furthermore, not everyone can travel due to their circumstances - it provides insights for people in an accessible way.&nbsp;As an educational tool, it’s changing people’s perceptions: exposing animal mistreatment and allowing us to marvel at nature without exploiting or caging it. If you’d like to find out more about how tech can be a driver for positive change, check out<a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/5-wholesome-environmental-video-games-encouraging-positive-change" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);"> 5 wholesome environmental video games encouraging positive change</a> and <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/10-apps-changing-the-world" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">10 apps changing the world</a>.

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Virtual reality: Bringing us closer to nature

If you were to walk into a bookstore and ask for the “vegan literature” section, you would probably be met with a blank expression, or, after some degree of confusion, directed to the vegan cookbooks. That doesn’t mean that vegan literature doesn’t exist, just that it’s not easy to find. This is a challenge not only for those who write vegan literature but for the publishers who produce such books for bookstore sections that don’t yet exist. As co-founder of Ashland Creek Press, I’ve learned a lot over the past ten years about the emerging field of vegan literature, and what I’ve learned gives me a lot of hope for the greening of literature in the future. <h2>Create what you want to see in the world</h2>In 2008, I wrote a novel, <a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/books/touristtrail.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Tourist Trail</a>, which tells the story of a vegan penguin researcher and her love affair with an anti-whaling activist (also vegan) who is on the run from the law. I found an agent to pitch the book to mainstream publishers, yet she was ultimately unable to find a home for the book. While the animal rights themes in the book made it a challenging sell, the larger challenge was one of categorization, or lack thereof. The feedback we received was, essentially, “We don’t know how to market this.”&nbsp; Publishers typically acquire books that fall within clearly defined categories, such as literary fiction, women’s fiction, romance, thriller, mystery. While climate-change fiction, or cli-fi, is beginning to appear, there is no “vegan fiction” category - and this lack of category, to large publishers, often implies a lack of a built-in audience.&nbsp; My partner Midge Raymond and I both spent many years working in publishing, so we decided to publish The Tourist Trail. By the end of the process we realized there might be other authors out there who have similarly struggled to find homes for their work, and we founded Ashland Creek Press in 2011 with the goal of seeking out these manuscripts. We have since published more than thirty titles, and we now focus even more on animal protection and vegan-themed books. <h2>Environmental literature is evolving</h2>Environmental writing of the past often features those who fished and hunted the land, even while doing their best to help protect it. And this belief system, wherein writers “get close” to nature by extracting from it or by doing battle with it, remains largely intact today. While a hundred years ago, hunting and fishing were generally undertaken as a matter of survival, today, there are too many alternatives to justify these acts. A growing chorus of writers believe that animals have suffered long enough and that all animals deserve equal protection. And these are the writers who are helping to redefine environmental writing. We meet these writers not only in the works we publish but in our Writing for Animals program, which helps writers with the nuances of writing empathetically and authentically about animals. And there is room for myriad genres as animal writing evolves. The romantic comedy <a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/books/greenandred.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Green and the Red</a>, written by French author Armand Chauvel and translated by American Elisabeth Lyman, tells the story of a French meat company executive who is on a mission to shut down the local vegetarian restaurant in order to take it over for a pork museum—and the antics, love story, and conclusion show that writers can have fun while making serious points about where our food comes from. In her satirical novel <a href="https://www.ashlandcreekpress.com/books/darkgreeneuphoria.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">My Days of Dark Green Euphoria</a>, A.E. Copenhaver uses our collective climate anxiety as a force driving her narrator from a pure life of eco-consciousness to a liquor-soaked environmental free-for-all—until she finds the right balance.&nbsp; The Tourist Trail is an eco-thriller; Cher Fischer’s <a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/books/fallingintogreen.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Falling Into Green</a> is an eco-mystery; Blair Richmond’s Lithia Trilogy (<a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/books/outofbreath.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Out of Breath</a>, <a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/books/ghostrunner.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Ghost Runner</a>, and <a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/books/lastmile.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Last Mile</a>) are paranormal romances featuring vegan vampires. There is no limit to the ways in which we can write - and read - vegan-themed literature. <h2>“Accidentally vegan” literature</h2>Just as we have “accidentally vegan” foods, like Oreo cookies, we also have literature that appeals to vegans while not being authored by or written specifically for vegans. The novel <a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/books/loveandordinarycreatures.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Love and Ordinary Creatures</a> by Gwyn Hyman Rubio tells the story of a captured cockatoo who has fallen in love with his owner (a common behaviour pattern among the species). Readers spend the entire novel inside the head of this bird and, by the end of the book, they understand the tragedy of the life of a caged bird and, by extension, all wild animals that must endure lives imprisoned. Likewise, Mindy Mejia’s <a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/books/dragonkeeper.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Dragon Keeper</a> raises similar issues about zoos and Komodo dragons. In this way, “accidental” vegan literature can be just as enlightening as purposefully written “veg-lit,” in that it even more subtly opens readers’ hearts and minds.&nbsp; E. B. White, a man who raised and slaughtered pigs, likely didn’t set out to urge his readers to give up pork when he wrote <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte%27s_Web" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charlotte’s Web</a> - and yet this book has subtly and powerfully inspired countless readers to rethink their relationships with animals. Likewise, readers consider animal testing and experimentation after reading Robert C. O’Brien’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Frisby_and_the_Rats_of_NIMH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH</a> or Karen Joy Fowler’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_All_Completely_Beside_Ourselves" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves</a>. <h2>Today’s niche is tomorrow’s mainstream</h2>Back when we founded <a href="https://ashlandcreekpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ashland Creek Press</a>, environmental literature was decidedly a niche. Now, it is becoming far more popular among mainstream publishers. And because of this, we are turning more toward animal-focused, vegan literature - because in this area, we still have a long way to go. Yet we see great hope. Midge’s novel <a href="https://midgeraymond.com/books/mylastcontinent.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">My Last Continent</a> has not one but two major vegan characters and was published through a major publisher (Scribner). And Deb Olin Unferth’s novel<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/45892219-barn-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Barn 8</a>, about a chicken rescue, was published by the independent but relatively large publisher Graywolf Press.&nbsp; I believe this new era of writing is only just beginning, and that even though “vegan literature” sections may not yet exist in most bookstores or on virtual bookshelves, the more we write, publish, and read, the more visible these books will be.&nbsp; <h1>Are you an aspiring author but feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of self-publishing? Don’t fret, an author who has been there, done that, shares some of her hard-earned wisdom in <a href="https://www.v-landuk.com/article/5-top-tips-for-self-publishing-a-vegan-book" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(75, 172, 72);">5 top tips for self-publishing a vegan book</a>.</h1> John Yunker is a writer of plays, short stories, and novels focused on human/animal relationships. He is the author of the novels The Tourist Trail and the sequel Where Oceans Hide Their Dead and editor of the anthologies Writing for Animals and the Among Animals series. His plays have been staged at myriad theatres in the United States, from Oregon to New York, and he is co-founder of Ashland Creek Press, a publisher devoted to environmental and animal rights literature. This essay is adapted from John’s essay in&nbsp;The Vegan Studies Project,&nbsp;edited by Laura Wright.

Two long books shelves in a public library