About us                                    

Vegan Views shares the aims of the UK Vegan Society, but is independent from it. The magazine has always been produced by unpaid volunteers on a non-profit-making basis, with the emphasis being on debating issues amongst vegans and vegan sympathisers. 

Vegan Views began in April 1975 as a duplicated A4 newsletter, with the early issues simply called ‘Vegan Newsletter’. It was produced by a group of young vegans living in North London, led by Marijke McCartney, who wanted to make contact with others “interested in creating a more harmonious way of living based on veganism”. They shared news and opinions, and were able to communicate more informally through the Newsletter than through the Vegan Society's journal. For many isolated vegans they were a real source of support.

In 1977, with issue 14, the Newsletter acquired a new name ‘Vegan Views’, and became a printed A4 magazine. At this time it was edited by Malcolm Horne, but in 1980, after issue 20, it left London for Edenfield in Lancashire, to be edited by Valerie Alferoff and David Barrett. Malcolm Horne took over again for issues 33/34 and then in 1985 Harry Mather, in Bournemouth, became editor. In 2008 (after editing a grand total of 82 issues, No.35 through to No.116) Harry retired at the age of 84, though he continued to contribute articles to V.V. until he passed away in May 2010.

Knut Caspari edited issues 117-120 (plus a Vegan Views ‘book’), but at the end of 2010 the magazine was taken on by Sarah Austin, Malcolm Horne, and David Mather (Harry's son).

You can read more about the early days of Vegan Views on pages 12-15 of issue 100 - but for a more recent overview of V.V.'s history see page 3 of issue 121. The very first issue from 1975 can be downloaded from our Back issues page.

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© Vegan Views 2014