Littlehampton activist hopes her novel will ‘moove’ readers

Animal rights activist Ruth Hawe has penned her first novel

Ruth Hawe, of Pebble Walk, in Littlehampton, has self-published her first novel which she hopes will inspire people to think about the food they eat.

The 59-year-old’s book, entitled Holy Cow, focuses on the journey of a young woman called Daisy as she attends university for the first time and discovers her passion to protect animals.

Ruth, who has been a vegan for 40 years and does not eat or drink any animal products, said: “I’ve written this book to raise awareness of the plight of animals imprisoned by the food industry.

“A lot of the book is based on my own experiences.

“I’m an activist myself and I found that yes, you can stand outside to protest or drop leaflets in the post about animal rights but sometimes it doesn’t always have the right impact.”

She said she had been inspired by other writers, novelists and filmmakers who had crafted stories about contentious issues.

“I just think literature is a better way of reaching people,” Ruth said. “It’s a prime way of changing people’s outlooks and opinions on a certain issue.

“I know I have been changed a lot by watching an impactful film. Somehow it can cut through the armour of cynicism that we have to deal with on a daily basis.”

She will be holding a book signing event next month.

It will be a chance for fans to not only have a copy of her novel signed by Ruth but also to have a discussion about animal rights.

The event will be taking place in the Garden Café, behind the Rustington Museum, in The Street, on Saturday, July 12, from mid-day until 2pm.

Her book is available for £6.50 on Amazon, £6 on her website here or £1.60 as an e-book.

For the full story, see this week’s Gazette (June 26).