Nietzsche is famous again.
The well-known, well-loved, long-haired ginger cat who “works” at The Book Man in downtown Chilliwack is gracing the cover of newly released book, Bookstore Cats.
“This is his literary debut,” says The Book Man owner, Amber Price.
People have likely seen Nietzsche splashed across The Book Man’s Chilliwack Cats for Charity calendar each year. He’s also been in a blog, an online feature on bookstore cats by ABE Books, and in British Columbia Magazine, but this is the first time he’s been in a book, let alone on the cover.
When Price was sent a link to pre-order the book, there was Nietzsche on the front cover.
“I feel very excited, and I was very proud and flattered of our photographer Todd Holbrook,” she says. “It’s such an iconic shot of Nietzsche in his element, surrounded by books.”
Bookstore Cats by Brandon Schultz of New York was released Sept. 5.
There are 25 stores featured in the book and each has at least one cat, but some have multiple felines like The Book Man. Nietzsche is at the Chilliwack location, and Gatsby works out of their Abbotsford location. Both are included in Bookstore Cats.
So what sort of information is published about each cat?
“A little about the appearance and the stores they work in, but most are the charming stories of how they came to live and work among books, and the crazy antics they get up to with customers,” says Schultz. “Many of the cats are more popular than their stores, so they’re little celebrities with plenty of visiting admirers, and each has its own amusing personality.”
Schultz is quite fond of cats.
“Cats are elegant and graceful, intelligent and resourceful, and overflowing with personality,” he says. “A cat is always the boss of any house or bookstore and it’s fascinating to see how they demonstrate this, even aloof cats.”
Holbrook’s image of Nietzsche was taken several years ago for the Chilliwack Cats for Charity calendar as a fundraiser for Ena’s Community Cats.
The Book Man will not profit from sales of Bookstore Cats, instead, whatever their profit margin is will be donated to Ena’s Community Cats.
“Any profits that we make will be a fundraiser for Ena,” says Price. “Because that’s the nature of those photographs is that they were taken with the intention of supporting Ena, so we will keep that tradition going.”
Ena Vermerris has spayed and neutered more than 5,500 cats in the community.
Bookstore Cats retails for $25.95, and it’s currently in stock at The Book Man. Email info@bookman.ca, or call 604-792-4595 for more info.
About the author: Schultz loves cats, bookstores, and especially bookstores run by cats. Among other things he is a book publisher, travel writer, and ice cream enthusiast. This is his fourth book, and he lives in Brooklyn, New York, with a cat named Lucy, who has previously authored her own book.
@PhotoJennalism
jenna.hauck@theprogress.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
