Great Writers & the Cats Who Owned Them
a NEW BOOK by Susannah
Cats may not write books, but they’ve certainly helped quite a few get written…
Written in Susannah’s highly readable trademark of humour and warmth, this book tells the stories of how seventeen celebrated writers meet their most demanding critics—their own cats.
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“It is such fun to find out how besotted with their feline friends all these writers were.” Dame Lynley Dodd, (author of the Hairy Maclary books)
“A tail of literary love affairs that proves [that] behind every great writer, there’s a cat judging their first drafts.” Sarah, via Goodreads
Read more purr-spectives …
Team your book with a matching TEA TOWEL and a GREETING CARD.
Great Writers and the Cats Who Owned Them explores the special bond between renowned writers and their feline companions. Whether it’s a cat in a nursery rhyme, on a billiard table, or in a writer’s study, this book explains the special relationship between writer and feline, and the joy, solace and ideas the cat provided.
From Dickens to Hemingway, discover how these cats inspired literary works, brought comfort, and became cherished muses. A must-read for cat lovers and literary enthusiasts alike!
Just (AU) $38.00 + shipping
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, Author
Reader's Purr-spectives
See how readers have responded to the charm and curiosity of Great Writers & the Cats Who Owned Them.
“This is absolutely delightful prose and neither thin and frivolous nor worthy and fastidious. It’s just a really well-crafted read…” Richard Lofthouse, via University of Oxford Alumni
“When I finished reading your new book I was sad to have none left to enjoy. I galloped through it in three days, thoroughly absorbed, and would have continued to read more happily.” Ruth, via email
Reader’s purr-spectives continue here …
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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, Academic, Literary Critic & Author
Team it with the tea towel and add a gift card!
Celebrate your love of literature and feline finesse with these beautifully designed matching tea towel and gift card, the ideal companions to this book.
Purchase the book, tea towel and greeting card together to receive
10% discount on tea towel + 15% discount on greeting card + $0 additional shipping
when dispatched together to the same address.
A wonderful collection that celebrates the special relationship between writers and their cats. Do read it – with your cat, if possible.” ― Elly Griffiths, Author
Attend a talk
Susannah is giving lots of talks about literary cats. Come along to hear about the cat who dined on oysters, the one that was named Cigarette, and what Charles Dickens did with Bob’s paw. Who rented kittens, and how did a cat assist in the War effort during WWII?
Enjoy the stories of these paw-picked felines and other cat-tivating tails.
It is so interesting to see how, in spite of a different attitude to cats as pets in past centuries, there were still people who were beguiled into making them loved members of their families. It’s very clear that cats have had their heads sensibly screwed on for centuries!” ― Dame Lynley Dodd, ‘Hairy Maclary’ books
Whiskered Wonders for Giving
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
More about these extraordinary cats
This enticing new book looks at 17 great writers and their cats, showing how each cat was used in poems, novels, short stories, essays, diaries, letters and children’s books, and explaining the special relationship between writer and feline and the joy, solace and ideas the cat provided.
Writers and cats go together like pen and ink. Learn about Dr Johnson’s Hodge. What role did he play in the creation of the first great dictionary of the English language, and how did he come to be memorialised in a popular London statue?
Robert Southey is best remembered today for a story about a little girl who meets three bears, yet his great passion was not bears, but cats. His Rumpelstilzchen was adored, pampered and inspired a memoir about the cats with whom he shared his home.
Edward Lear, author of the superb The Owl and the Pussycat, was inspired by Foss, his cat, who, with only half a tail, would never have won a beauty contest.
Dickens was more of a dog man, yet was won over by a deaf kitten named Bob.
French author Colette had several husbands, but none of them ever mattered as much as her Chartreux cats, and her short story La Chatte reflects that passion.
Mark Twain so loved cats that when he went on holiday, he rented kittens so he would never be without feline company, and he adapted the rules of his favourite game, billiards, to accommodate cats present on the billiard table.
L.M. Montgomery dedicated a novel to a beloved cat, Sir Winston Churchill claimed that his cat Nelson contributed hugely to the war effort, and Ernest Hemingway, such a macho guy, turned into a total softie when it came to the more than twenty cats who condescended to share his homes.
Margaret Mitchell underwent the publicity of the film of Gone with the Wind with Old Timer at her side. Doris Lessing wrote movingly of her disabled cat, and Dame Lynley Dodd was inspired by two family pets when she created the memorable Scarface Claw and Slinky Malinki.
The book also includes fascinating anecdotes about literary cats—in hotels, bookshops, theatres, nursery rhymes, and stories.
This is a book for anyone who loves cats and great writing.
Publisher: Bodleian Library
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 15 October 2025
Language: English
Print length: 280 pages
Item weight: 454 g
ISBN-10: 1851246541
ISBN-13: 978-1851246540
International purchasers
Purchasing from a country other than Australia?
I have to cover the cost of postage and international shipping from Australia is expensive. You should be able to find my book in a bookstore near you. Ask them! If you would like a signature, why not try my free downloadable bookplate instead?
Of course, I’ll be happy to take your order above, and sign and dedicate your book personally, but I need to cover the cost of international postage. I hope you understand.
If you need help with purchasing a copy of this book, please contact Susannah here.
Susannah loves to talk about classic literature, and especially literary cats! She would love to hear from you about booking her to present a talk about literature. Please contact her here.