Eliot wrote the poems in the 1930s, and included them, under his assumed name "Old Possum", in letters to his godchildren. They were collected and published in 1939, with cover illustrations by the author, and quickly re-published in 1940, illustrated in full by Nicolas Bentley. They have also been published in versions illustrated by Edward Gorey (1982) and Axel Scheffler (2009).
Contents
The contents of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, along with the names of the featured cats where appropriate, are:
Based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S ... Each cat tells their stories for the amusement of Old Deuteronomy, their leader, who must choose one of the cats to ascend to The Heaviside...
