Ghost Cat

12 decades, 9 lives, 1 catEarly morning, 1902. In a gloomy Edinburgh tenement, Eilidh the charlady tips coal into a fire grate and sets it alight. Overhearing, a cat ambles over to curl up against the welcome heat. This is to be the cat's last day on earth. But he is going to return... as The Ghost Cat, 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.Follow The Ghost Cat as he witnesses the changes of the next two centuries as he 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. As we follow our new spirit-feline friend, 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 fun.

Alex Howard lives in Edinburgh. He graduated from Edinburgh University with a 1st class English degree in 2010, and has since had poetry published widely in journals such as The London Magazine, Cadaverine, and Gutter. He is the winner of the Red Cross International Writing Prize, a quarter-finalist in the Scottish Slam Championships 2012, and has performed his work at the Edinburgh Book Festival. In addition, he has had comedy writing shortlisted by the BBC and worked variously as a television researcher, ghost tour guide, and tutor. He is currently pursuing an AHRC funded PhD at Edinburgh University.