Doris Schneeberger shortlisted for the Siobhan O'Sullivan Book Prize

We are proud to announce that Vienna Animal Studies member Dr Doris Schneeberger has been shortlisted in the inaugural Siobhan O'Sullivan Book prize for her manuscript titled Envisioning a Better Future for Nonhuman Animals: Towards Future Animal Rights Declarations.

A guest at a recent lecture takes a look at "Envisioning a Better Future for Nonhuman Animals" (Photo Credit: Oliver Hirtenfelder)

 We interviewed Schneeberger after she discussed Envisioning a Better Future for Nonhuman Animals in the first meet-up of the "VAS Summer Lecture Series" and she said she was motivated to write the book because "while human rights are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, animals remain largely excluded from legal protections that recognize their intrinsic value." She went on to say that:

"These rights are not about granting animals the same rights as humans but about ensuring their well-being and dignity within an ethical and legal framework that acknowledges their intrinsic worth."

Consequently, Schneeberger' s book explores how animal ethics, political philosophy, and law can assist in crafting a better future for animals. The book provides insights into the history of nonhuman rights and unpacks some of the core concepts in this field (including capabilities and interests) before going on to unpack specific rights in nonhuman declarations. Find out more here.

Envisioning a Better Future for Nonhuman Animals is one of three shortlisted titles in the Siobhan O'Sullivan Book Prize. The other two are Mother Cow Mother India: A Multispecies Politics of Dairy in India by Yamini Narayanan as well as Food, Justice and Animals: Feeding the World Respectfully  by Josh Milburn. Judges are currently assessing the three books and the winner will be announced in November 2025.

The book prize is one of three prizes established through a bequest by the late Associate Professor Siobhan O’Sullivan and managed by the Australasian Animal Studies Association (AASA). The AASA Journal Article by an Early Career Researcher Prize  and the AASA Popular Communication of Animal Studies Prize were launched in 2021, shortly before O'Sullivan's death. VAS Member Claudia Hirtenfelder was the inaugural winner of the prize for popular communication of animal studies for her work with The Animal Turn podcast.

A big congratulations to the three finalists and thank you to AASA for running such wonderful initiatives.