News
Inbali Iserles is a lawyer making a different kind of case - it involves a tribe of ancient cats
January 20, 2011 10:43
By, Candice Krieger
1 min read
ByCandice Krieger, Candice Krieger
Three days a week she is a high-flying City lawyer. The rest of the time, she spends in a world run by cats - a fantasy world of course.
Ms Iserles, 35, is an award-winning children's writer and she has recently published her latest book, The Tygrine Cat On the Run.
A sequel to her debut novel The Tygrine Cat, it is the story of two cat tribes and in particular, Mati, the last of the Tygrine tribe, who must protect his feline friends from danger.
It is set at market-place Cressida Lock, loosely based on north London's Camden Lock.
Ms Iserles, who works at Ashurst, tells People: "It was exciting to re-enter that world. Part of developing a fantasy is that you have to build the world. It was nice to step back into it.
"Writing and law provide a really good balance for me. The writing indulges my creative side and I absolutely love it but doing it all the time can be very solitary.
"One of the best things about law is the human interaction and having that day-to-day stability."
The Tygrine Cat won the 2008 Calderdale Children's Book of the Year award. She came up with the idea while flicking through a cat encyclopedia at her parents' house.
"I am an enormous animal lover and have always loved cats. I had them when I was younger after nagging and nagging by parents until they reluctantly gave in." Today, she owns pet degus - exotic rodents - adopted from the RSPCA.
Israeli-born Ms Iserles, who lives in Islington, north London, is also the author of The Bloodstone Bird, one of the Independent's 50 Best Winter Reads for 2009/2010. She is keen to write another book but perhaps one for adults or younger children.
The Tygrine Cat On the Run is published by Walker Books