Avril Henry facts for kids
Avril K. Henry (born April 5, 1935 – died April 20, 2016) was an English activist and a former professor. She was known for her work at the University of Exeter, where she taught about English medieval culture. Avril Henry also strongly supported the idea of legalizing euthanasia for people who choose it themselves.
Who Was Avril Henry?
Avril K. Henry was born in Lincoln, a city in Lincolnshire, England. Her father, Robert Charles Henry, worked for the Royal Air Force, and her mother was Eileen Florence Whattam Henry.
Her Work as a Professor
As a professor at the University of Exeter, Avril Henry specialized in English medieval culture. This means she studied and taught about the history, art, and literature from the Middle Ages in England. Her research also included looking at how symbols and meanings were used in old religious texts.
What She Campaigned For
Avril Henry was a dedicated activist. She believed that people should have the legal right to choose voluntary euthanasia. This means she thought it should be legal for someone who is very ill and suffering to decide to end their life with medical help, if they wish to. She spent many years working to make this possible under the law.
Books She Wrote
Avril Henry wrote several important books during her career. These books often focused on her studies of medieval texts and their meanings. Some of her published works include:
- Biblia Pauperum. Scolar, Aldershot, 1987; ISBN: 9780859675420
- The Mirour of Mans Saluacioune: a Middle English translation of Speculum humanae salvationis: a critical edition of the fifteenth-century manuscript illustrated from Der Spiegel der Meschen Behaltnis, Speyer, Drach, c. 1475;. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1987; ISBN: 0812280547
- The Eton Roundels: Eton College MS 177 'Figurae Bibliorum' A Colour Facsimile With Transcription, Translation and Commentary; ISBN: 978-0859677561
