Mysterious ‘lost cat’ posters are appearing round Lancaster town centre as part of a unique storytelling project organised by Lancaster LitFest. The posters form the first section of a three part story relating to the Storey Institute and, when read in order, tell a story of unrequited love between a pair of Lancaster people who have been separated and united by the Storey Institute at various points in their lives.
Some of the posters have been produced by a calligrapher and were inspired by The Storey Institute’s history of teaching calligraphy and sign-writing.
In addition two blogs – Please Find Zigzag and Have You Seen This Cat – have been set up to record the story. Add them to your favourites now!
Among cats, of course, writers are considered some of the best breeds of humans to get, because writers already have civilized, catlike habits. Most writers don’t like being disturbed, either and, as the cat Aristophenes relates on this web site to owner Robert Sloan, “they have an uncanny, almost feline, focus on their work that’s very much like a hunter’s patient stalk. They sit still for long periods of time, and have warm, comfortable laps. Quiet, undemanding intimacy is possible with a writer that a cat might not find with the more frantic types of humans.”
As The Storey Institute undergoes building work, the stories have been commissioned from writer David Gaffney as part of the Building Sites project, which aims to engage the public with building renovations.
David will be performing six additional short stories by the writer at the Storey Institute on Thursday 19 March. He will also lead a small group of people round the newly refurbished building telling specially written tales relating to the building along the way.
• There are limited places available for this performance, so visit the David Gaffney’s Storey Shorts page on the LitFest website to book your place.