Old Possums, new audiences with Lemn Sissay

The naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey –
All of them sensible everyday names…

So begins one of the best-known poetry collections of all time. The practical cats need no introduction, but this stunning new reading by Lemn Sissay brings the poems vibrantly alive to introduce a new generation of children to Eliot's work.

Lemn Sissay MBE is a poet, playwright and occasional broadcaster. He has read poetry all over the world and was awarded an MBE for services to literature. He is the Chancellor of the University of Manchester and was the first poet commissioned to write for the London Olympics. He is a regular contributor to radio and TV and a prolific speaker, inspiring audiences on a daily basis across the globe.

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