a b Flood, Alison. "Bob the Street Cat books top 1m copies in UK". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 November 2015. Bowen was born in Surrey on 15 March 1979 to John and Penelope Bowen (née Hartford-Davis). Following his parents' divorce, three years later he moved to Australia with his mother. As they moved frequently, Bowen seldom made friends and was often bullied at school. He later dropped out of education in his second year of high school, becoming a self-confessed "tearaway kid". Even though I did think that it's a little cheesy to say a cat changed his life, in this case it's the truth. Personally I think that it shows how everyone can change something if he/she finds the motivation to do so and in this case the motivation for James to change his life once and for all was Bob. The Little Book of Bob: Life Lessons from a Street-Wise Cat collects together pieces of wisdom Bowen has accumulated during his years sharing his life with his 'streetwise' cat. It was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 1 November 2018. This book was something I had to read for my english class and I have to admit, when I first heard of it I thought it was going to be really boring. But to be honest it really surprised me. The book title and cover makes it seem like it's just about a cat and while it's true that a majority of this book focuses on the cat Bob it wasn't as bad as I had thought.

Macaferri Music (22 November 2018). "James Bowen – And Then Came Bob [Official Video]". YouTube . Retrieved 26 August 2020.

Bob to the Rescue is a second children's picture book, written again with Garry Jenkins and illustrated by Gerald Kelley. It was published by Random House in September 2014.

a b "YouTube: NEW MUSIC FROM JAMES BOWEN WITH THE WILD & STRAY – CHRISTMAS 2018!)". YouTube . Retrieved 23 March 2020. Following the announcement of Bob's death, The Big Issue magazine was inundated with tributes, messages and memories of Bob from all over the world. [9] Books and films [ edit ]Since Bob seemed keen to accompany James to work, he constructed a harness from shoelaces and began to bring him along to his regular spots in Covent Garden and Piccadilly, travelling in the window seat of the number 73 bus. The public reaction was positive and the pair became popular, their visibility increasing still further when James began selling the Big Issue. Soon the public began uploading videos of James and Bob to YouTube, and tourists from across the world would visit Covent Garden to see them. During this time, James decided to withdraw the methadone treatment; he credits his success to Bob, saying “I believe it came down to this little man. He came and asked me for help, and he needed me more than I needed to abuse my own body. He is what I wake up for every day now... he’s definitely given me the right direction to live my life.” Who else could play him? He's such a character. Plus, it's not like you can train them; cats do what they want to do. You can't make them do anything. Charles Martin Smith to Direct 'A Street Cat Named Bob' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter. 8 October 2019 . Retrieved 23 March 2020. You've just adapted the book for children. Some children's books – The Hunger Games , Philip Pullman's titles – are pretty dark, but not many deal with heroin addiction. How have you made it child-friendly? Hammond, Elaine. "A Street Cat Named Bob review – so much kitty litter". Shoreham Herald . Retrieved 7 March 2020.

Bob soon became James’s companion whenever he busked in the streets of London. Whenever Bob yawned along with the guitar, coins would tinkle into James’s guitar case. Bob’s big, innocent eyes could bewitch anyone into donating a bit of their shares. In a way. But it traps you. Heroin is a great excuse to stay on the streets and do nothing about your life. It's definitely glamorised in films, but it's an easy option – although you do have to go shoplifting four times a day to fund your habit.James Bowen is an author and musician currently based in London. He is author of A Street Cat Named Bob, which tells his life story. In time, he began sleeping on the streets. For the next few years, Bowen either slept in the streets or stayed in shelters, most of the time terrified of his surroundings. He began begging and using heroin to deal with the pain from being homeless. He's my owner. And there's nobody else who could ever claim him. We've been together for over six years now. If someone came forward now, I'd tell them where to go jump. Williams, Imogen Russell (6 March 2014). "World Book Day: The 10 best teen reads". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 November 2015.