Soni Kaur has registered the materials of her book, My Name is Soni: My Conscience Writes Poetry, with The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark, making it the first ever publication to receive the widely recognised certification.
The paperback book, which was released earlier this summer, is created with entirely vegan materials, from the paper it’s printed on, to the inks and the glue used. This was important to the author, Soni, who took care to source the materials for the book in line with her values.
The Vegan Trademark, which was officially established in 1990, has over 65,000 products registered under its iconic sunflower logo. These products span a huge number of categories, from food and drinks to household items and clothes – but Soni Kaur’s book marks the first publication to receive the Trademark’s certification. The Vegan Trademark gives consumers confidence that not only are the raw materials of the book free from animal products, but that the paper, inks and glue have not been tested on animals.
Historically, animal-based glues and leathers have been used in the production of books. Whilst this is rarer now, Soni felt it important to communicate the vegan status of her poetry book to potential readers: “The journey of writing and printing my poetry book has been a long road, mainly because I was very conscious about the materials and type of ink I wanted to use. I eventually, accidentally and conveniently came across Algae Ink™. When I learnt about the ink being 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable, I had to make it happen!
"I chose to register my book with The Vegan Trademark so I could communicate with the reader that the book is created with completely vegan materials. I feel very lucky and grateful that my book is the first publication to be certified with The Vegan Trademark. I love achieving goals that have never been accomplished by anyone before as I believe it inspires and encourages others to believe in their own non-conventional visions too.”
Speaking of the new registration, Client Relations Manager for The Vegan Trademark, Gabriela Chalkia, said: “Brands are definitely beginning to think outside of the box as to what may or may not be suitable for a vegan lifestyle. We’ve seen an increase in demand for registrations of items outside of the typical categories of food and cosmetics. Requests have come in for items such as beds, mattresses, compostable cutlery and of course – Soni's book! It’s encouraging to see more acknowledgement that veganism isn’t just a diet, it’s a lifestyle. These sorts of registrations give consumers confidence that their values can be upheld in all areas of their life.”
For further details on My Name is Soni: My Conscience Writes Poetry, visit www.sonikaur.co.uk. To find out more about the Vegan Trademark visit The Vegan Society | The Vegan Trademark.