ALF book foreword

[Guest guest]

*Foreword by Benjamin Zephaniah *

 

*Keith Mann's name is in many minds synonymous with the ALF. I first came

across him when I was dedicating a lot of time to supporting prisoners and

the animal rights movement. He was brought to my attention because he was

both a prisoner and an animal rights activist. Having never met him, and

armed with only a photo of him, I joined his supporters in regular letter

writing and the lobbying of MPs on his behalf. *

 

*Having served time in prison as an ALF activist, Mann is something of a

cause célèbre in the global animal rights movement for his uncompromising

stance on the issue of animal exploitation. Eminently personable, he never

attempts to paint himself as anything other than what he is - a cheeky and

affable Mancunian lad, with an overriding desire to see an end to the

suffering of animals. I first met him on a demonstration and I thought it

was going to be one of those mystical experiences, like you get when you

meet Nelson Mandela, but all I got from him was a piece of vegan cake and a

leaflet about another demo. It is this passion that has motivated him to

break unjust laws. It informs his actions and his life choices, and it is

this passion that speaks to us when we read From Dusk 'til Dawn, his first

book. *

 

*Those who know the author personally will recognise the often chatty,

anecdotal style in his writing, which is conversational and not restricted

by the 'house style' of a publisher worried about the bottom line. It allows

you to read this book from cover to cover or dip into it at leisure, though

its subject matter and sheer scale do not make it easy bedtime reading. *

 

*Mann is a natural storyteller, with a hell of a story to tell. It does not

end happily ever after, nor does it offer glib solutions to the tyranny of

oppression. What it does offer is hope, and that is its feel-good factor. As

the book's title suggests, it provides a background to the dawning of a new

consciousness, though it also gives a knowing wink to the reader who

recognises that the hours before dawn are the hours when most direct actions

take place. *

 

* The history of what we would consider the modern animal rights movement is

barely 100 years old; it is a movement still in its infancy. This book is a

part of that unfolding history. In my humble opinion there have been times

when the animal rights movement has lost its way, when sections of it have

got bogged down in what are almost academic arguments about language or

image, or even personalities. At times like these we tend to forget about

what the struggle is really about and begin to sound like bureaucratic

hippies. This book reminds us why we are here. Sometimes being able to look

back helps in seeing the way forward. Knowing your roots can promote your

growth. Agree with Mann or not, you cannot fail to be moved by his moral

arguments and his appeal to the humanity that potentially resides in us all

to work towards rebuilding a world on the principles of true equality with

life itself being the yardstick.*