We’re delighted to be welcoming the international bestselling author of A Street Cat Named Bob, James Bowen, to our next online event to help raise money to support homeless people in Cornwall.
In an exclusive online discussion and Q&A, James will join Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink to discuss his own experience of homelessness and addiction, his bestselling memoirs, and the organisations he now supports.
James was a recovering drug addict living in supported housing and selling the Big Issue when he met feline friend, Bob, who later helped him turn his life around. The heart-warming relationship between the pair went on to inspire the author’s first memoir and box office hit, A Street Cat Named Bob, in which Bob starred as himself.
Since the release of his first memoir, James has gone on to publish The World According to Bob, A Gift from Bob, and The Little Book of Bob, selling eight million books worldwide in over 40 languages, with A Gift from Bob adapted for film in 2020.
The author, who is a patron of Emmaus Cornwall and has offered ongoing support to our charity for the past few years, now dedicates his time to helping numerous charities that involve homelessness, literacy, and animal welfare. Bob passed away in 2020, and Bowen credits him for ‘saving his life’.
This is the third event in a series we are hosting to kickstart our fundraising efforts to open the first Emmaus community in Cornwall.
With 29 established Emmaus communities in the UK, we have a £1million fundraising target to open our own community that will offer homeless people a place to live, work experience, daily support and training so they can rebuild their life.
Past event guests have included Cornwall resident and author of The Salt Path, Raynor Winn, and former hostage and humanitarian Terry Waite CBE. So far, we have raised more than £5,700 through our online events.
Sue Trewella, Chair of Trustees at Emmaus Cornwall, said:
“Cornwall needs an Emmaus community as it has one of the worst homelessness problems in the country, which is being exacerbated by the pandemic. We are delighted that James is going to spend an evening with us, as his books and subsequent films have inspired so many people around the world. He will be able to shed more light on what homelessness is all about and the effect it has on people.”
The event will take place on Thursday 6 May at 7pm. Tickets cost £10. Participants joining will be able to ask James questions in the chat box. To book your place visit, here.