To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the death of Brigid Antonia Brophy (1929-1995) and the fiftieth anniversary of her article 'The Rights of Animals', published in the Sunday Times on 10th October 1965 (and later collected in the ground-breaking 1971 anthology Animals, Men and Morals), the School of The Arts at the University of Northampton is delighted to host a two-day conference to celebrate all aspects of Brophy's literary career, as well as her leading contribution to animal rights, vegetarianism, anti-vivisectionism, humanism, feminism and her advocacy of the Public Lending Right.

Organiser: Professor Richard Canning: Richard.Canning@northampton.ac.uk

Confirmed Speakers:
Professor Philip Hensher, Novelist, Author, Critic, Professor of Creative Writing, Bath Spa University;
Kate Levey, Daughter of Michael Levey and Brigid Brophy;
Doctor Robert McKay, Literary Critic on Animals in Literature, Society and Culture, School of English, University of Sheffield;
Peter Parker, Author, Biographer, Historian and Literary Critic;
Doctor Richard Ryder, Psychologist, Philosopher, Campaigner against Speciesism.

Individual papers are welcome on any aspect of Brophy's writings, fiction, non-fiction and otherwise, her literary career, influences, collaborators or peers, and on any role she played in activism, the media or in public life. Particular themes of interest to the organisers include, but are not restricted to: Brigid Brophy, Fiction Writer; Brigid Brophy, Author, Biographer and Literary Critic; Brigid Brophy and Animal Rights; Brigid Brophy, Polemicist and Activist. Proposed papers need to run to 20 minutes. Complete panel proposals are welcome, alongside individual submissions. Contributions within and beyond traditional scholarly or disciplinary contexts are welcome. It is planned that the conference will lead to a publication of collected papers in 2017.

Please send a 350-word abstract with name, a brief biographical summary (100 words) and contact details to: ecw@northampton.ac.uk by Wednesday 17th June 2015.