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Black & White pounces for Alex Howard’s ‘fun, whimsical’ The Ghost Cat
A new novel by Alex Howard, The Ghost Cat, has been snapped up by Black & White Publishing, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK.
World rights were acquired directly from the author by Campbell Brown, managing director at Black & White. The Ghost Cat will be published on 25th May 2023.
The publisher says: “After the success of Library Cat (published by B&W in 2016), the imagined observations of Edinburgh University’s famous and much-missed cat-about-town, Alex Howard returns with a new feline friend and a brand new adventure to captivate his rapidly growing TikTok following, now approaching 300,000, and cat lovers everywhere.”
The synopsis reads: “Twelve decades, nine lives, one cat: the Ghost Cat is a spirit-feline destined to live out his ghostly existence according to the medieval proverb of ‘The Cat with Nine Lives’ – For Three He Plays, For Three He Strays, For Three He Stays.
“Witnessing the changes of a century and more, the Ghost Cat purrs, shuffles and sniffs his way through the fashion, politics and technological advances of the modern era, alongside the ever-changing inhabitants of an Edinburgh tenement. This unique story unearths some startling revelations about the mystery of existence and the human condition and provides a feel-good read full of charm for any fan of history, humour and fur-ridden feline fun.”
Howard said: “I’m over the moon to be back with Black & White for The Ghost Cat! Their team is second to none and already I can sense their warmth and excitement for the book. I simply can’t wait to share the Ghost Cat’s story with readers far and wide…”
Campbell Brown said: “It’s wonderful to be back working with Alex on his new book. He always gives his readers a unique perspective, bringing fun and whimsy to his writing as he tackles life’s big topics. We can’t wait for everyone to meet the Ghost Cat and join him on his adventures through our ever-changing world.”
Born in London, Alex Howard moved up to Scotland for his degree in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh. Completing the MA, he went on to pursue a PhD in 20th-century poetry, from which his academic book Larkin’s Travelling Spirit (Palgrave, 2020) emerged.
He has also been published in the likes of New Writing Scotland, Gutter, The London Magazine and Orbis, including being invited to read at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, before winning a place in The Charles Causley Poetry Prize. When not writing, he works at Capital Theatres as a creative engagement co-ordinator, along with documenting the renovation of his Edinburgh home to his large TikTok following.
