The Cat and The City

2021 Longlist

In Tokyo – one of the world’s largest megacities – a stray cat is wending her way through the back alleys. And, with each detour, she brushes up against the seemingly disparate lives of the city-dwellers, connecting them in unexpected ways. But the city is changing. As it does, it pushes her to the margins where she chances upon a series of apparent strangers – from a homeless man squatting in an abandoned hotel, to a shut-in hermit afraid to leave his house, to a convenience store worker searching for love. The cat orbits Tokyo’s denizens, drawing them ever closer.

About the Author

Nick Bradley is a graduate of the UEA Creative Writing MA who is currently completing a PhD in Creative & Critical Writing, focussing on the figure of the cat in Japanese literature.

Librarian’s Comments

Vivid, stunning and unexpected – Bradley brings Tokyo to life, with characters full of hopes, dreams, disappointments and superstitions and every one of them has a cat in their lives. At first it feels like a collection of short stories, but soon, the characters start to connect, and it’s truly magical. The reader will learn about the ancient art of tebori tattooing, calligraphy, computer games, okonamiyake, car production, cat cloning, taxi driving, disappearing cats, manga, the yakuza gangs, karaoke and much, much more. Norfolk Library and Information Service, England