Edward Carpenter (1844-1929) is one of my four favourite historical figures in the history of the animal rights movement. The remaining three are Frances Power Cobbe, Anna Kingsford and, of course, Henry Salt.
Yesterday, on a day trip to London, the Grumpy Vegan was delighted to find in a bookshop a copy of Carpenter’s The Story of Eros and Psyche: Together with some early verses. This is a first edition published in 1923.
Edward Carpenter was an intriguing individual who was born into a comfortable middle class family in Brighton. He was gay, who lived openly with his lover; an ethical socialist, who inspired the founders of Britain’s Labour Party; a vegetarian, who worked closely with the great humanitarian, Henry Salt; an author, who wrote prolifically on a wide range of subjects; and an activist, whose life reflected his values.
