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Salem, the three-legged cat, is celebrated in books

Sarah-Jane MuddimanNorthamptonshire
News imageKev Smith A small black cat sits on the pavement, in the high street with his front leg tucked under his chest. Behind him is a row of shops, with some cars parked in front of the shops, and some bunting from one side of the street to the other. The cats eyes are open, and he is looking down towards the floor. Kev Smith
Salem, the three-legged cat, who died earlier this year in Daventry

Three books are set to be published in memory of a beloved three-legged cat who spent his days mingling with shoppers in a high street.

Salem, a favourite in his hometown of Daventry, Northamptonshire, died earlier this year at the age of 15. Locals raised thousands of pounds towards a memorial statue in his honour.

Now a local publisher is set to release three books, containing stories about Salem the cat, with some of the proceeds going into the pot for the bronze statue.

A spokesperson for Discover Daventry said: "Salem brought so much joy to Daventry, and it's wonderful to see him continue to inspire people. Between the statue and these books, his story will be shared for generations."

Members of the town's Suddenly Writing Club worked on creating stories about Salem, with four being chosen for publication.

Cheryl Thallon, the owner of Suddenly on Sheaf Street bookshop said: "We are always looking to publish stories from Daventry authors.

"Our writing club at Suddenly on Sheaf Street bookshop has some really talented writers. We're thrilled to be publishing their stories of Salem."

News imageDiscover Daventry A woman bent over a large table with copies of book proofs laid out in front of her is smiling. She wears a navy blue dress with small white polka dots, and a lanyard. Her hair is short, and her hands are clasped in front of her. To the side of her stands a male, he's smiling with dark hair and a dark goatee beard. He's leaning on the table, wearing a red and black checked shirt which is open, and a dark grey top underneath. Behind them is a large window, it's clear they're not on the ground floor as another window can be seen across the street as well as bunting outside the window. At one side of the room the wall is filled with storage cubes containing many balls of different coloured wool. Discover Daventry
Cheryl Thallon and Charlie Tomkins from Suddenly Publishing with the book proofs

Those four stories will be released as a collection of three books at the launch event, where Salem's owner Erin Hills will be the special guest.

Proceeds from the book sales will be shared between the publisher, the authors, and Salem's owner, with remaining money put towards the bronze statue.

The Salem Collection of books will be launched at a party at Suddenly on Sheaf Street, a local independent bookshop, on Thursday 15 October.

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