The Cat's Tales: Feline fairy tales and folklore Charlie Creed
Event details
Once upon a time, the enchanting creature that is the cat infiltrated our lives – and our folklore.
Cats have a long association with the supernatural – from being worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt to vilified as witches’ familiars in Europe – and they appear in countless fairy tales throughout history.
Every part of the world has its own stories, whether it’s ‘Dick Whittington and His Cat’ in England; the Irish ‘Demon Cat’; Japan’s ‘The Boy Who Drew Cats’; or the Icelandic story of ‘The Cottager and His Cat’.
These felines might appear as companions, guides or demons; they are contrary, malevolent, enigmatic; they are both friends and foes, beloved and reviled. But whether winning kingdoms, falling in love or outwitting giants, they are all the epitome of what we know the cat to be: mysterious, roguish and endlessly lovable.
So how did the cat earn its reputation as both friend and foe? Charlie Creed, author of The Cat’s Tales, delves into global folklore to reveal the stories behind these contradictory creatures.
This event will take place live on Zoom Webinar. You will receive a link to join a couple of days before the event and a reminder an hour before. During the event, you can ask questions via a Q&A function, but audience cameras and microphones will remain muted throughout.
Book sales
You can buy copies of many of our speakers’ books from Fox Lane Books, a local independent bookseller and Festival partner. In some cases, author signed bookplates are available too.
About the speaker
Charlie Creed is a writer from Bristol. He studied English Literature at Cambridge University, UK, before embarking on a career as a musician. He now works as a subeditor for several national newspapers and as a ghostwriter, specialising in picture books and stories for young children. His latest book is The Cat's Tales: Feline Fairy Tales and Folklore (Elliott & Thompson, 2025).
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