First Macavity the cat, now Molly the mutt: the sequel TS Eliot dreamed of writing

Eighty years after Old Possum, a companion collection of dog poems pays tribute to the literary giant

From Macavity to Rum Tum Tugger, TS Eliot’s poems about cats, originally intended as gifts for his godchildren, have thrilled generations of children and adults alike, becoming a cultural phenomenon in the process.

Now Eliot’s publishing house Faber & Faber is marking next year’s 80th anniversary of the publication of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats with a long-dreamt-of sequel. Old Toffer’s Book of Consequential Dogs, which contains 22 new poems by Costa award-winning poet and former Faber poetry editor Christopher Reid, is out this month, kickstarting a year of celebrations as the publisher heads towards its 90th year.

Eliot's cats have full personalities and I wanted my dogs to be seen in the same way

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