Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them

This witty, richly anecdotal book will show you how cats have consoled and inspired literary figures down the centuries. Indeed, it will convince you that to know a writer’s relationship with their cat is to know the writer a little better.

-- John Mullan, Professor of English at University College London

Utterly delightful! This is the perfect book for bibliophiles and lovers of cats alike, revealing how crucial cats have been to the creation of many of the world’s most beloved books.

 

-- Kate Forsyth

A true feline delight, with an array of memorable cats, domestic, difficult and theatrical, all displaying what Boswell called their “contemptuous knowledge” – and an illuminating, off-beat exploration of writer’s lives, through their shifting relationships with the animals they loved.

-- -Jenny Uglow (author of prize-winning biographies and cultural histories)

A wonderful collection that celebrates the special relationship between writers and their cats. Do read it – with your cat, if possible.

-- Elly Griffiths

Great Writers & the Cats Who Owned Them is a sweet and enlightening biographical collection...Charming drawings of the cats’ antics are included.

-- JEFF FLEISCHER

Witty anecdotes, biographical details, an abundance of cats, and the occasional ink drawing make for a charming read. After all, aren’t we all just visitors in the worlds our pets inhabit?

-- The Editors * The Critic’s Notebook *

For me, the supreme achievement of this book lies in the lightness with which the author wears her erudition. Susannah Fullerton manages to combine her passion for cats and her encyclopaedic literary scholarship effortlessly in her discussion of authors who have found the companionship of a cat to be ‘a relief, a comfort and an inspiration.

-- Dr Ruth Wi