Meet the author
Sylvain Degeorges Answers Your Questions
About Murmures nocturnes (soon in English as Nocturnal Whispers), his fantastical feline fable: the story of Moustache, why a cat, the night, and what whispers between the lines.
—What is your book about?
It's a fantastical fable about a cat named Moustache. On the surface he's an ordinary house cat, but at night he watches over dreams, thresholds, and invisible worlds. The book imagines that a cat's odd habits — staring into empty space, sleeping for hours, purring, watching windows — might hide a secret mission.
—Is it a novel, or a collection of stories?
I think of it more as a fantastical fable told in themed chapters. Each chapter starts from a typical cat behavior and opens it up into something poetic, funny, or mysterious.
—Is it for children?
Not exclusively. It's accessible, but I wrote it mainly for cat lovers — adults or teens — who enjoy mysterious, poetic, slightly mischievous atmospheres. A child might enjoy the adventure side of it; an adult might find a more symbolic reading.
—Did you write this only for cat lovers?
Cat lovers will recognize plenty of winks and nods, but the book can also speak to readers who enjoy fairy tales, gentle fantasy, poetic stories, and slightly offbeat worlds.
—Why did you choose a cat?
Because cats naturally carry a sense of mystery. They watch, they vanish, they sleep enormously, yet sometimes seem to be keeping an eye on something. It was the perfect character for turning the everyday into the fantastical.
—Why cats and not dogs?
Dogs are more about direct connection — enthusiasm, visible loyalty. Cats have something more secretive, quieter, more ambiguous. For a nocturnal, mysterious fable, the cat was the obvious choice.
—Do you really believe cats see invisible things?
I'm not claiming to explain it seriously. But when a cat stares at an empty corner for five minutes straight, it's hard not to imagine something. The book grew out of that feeling: what if, just once, we took that impression seriously… but with a sense of humor?
—Isn't that a slightly strange subject?
Yes, and that's exactly what appealed to me. Cats are already strange in real life. All it took was pushing the imagination a little further to turn them into guardians of dreams.
—Does Moustache really exist?
Moustache is a fictional character, but he was inspired by my own cat. Watching him day to day is where the idea came from, and the character is fed by those very real observations. Anyone who lives with a cat will probably recognize some familiar attitudes.
—Is it autobiographical?
Not directly. The narrator inevitably resembles me a little, since he watches cats with tenderness and humor, but the story remains fantastical fiction.
—What's the message of the book?
Maybe that we should learn to look differently at what seems ordinary. Cats remind us that there are silences, thresholds, presences and mysteries we don't always notice when we move too fast.
—Why the title Murmures nocturnes (Nocturnal Whispers)?
Because the book is about what happens at night — in silences, in dreams, in small discreet signs. These aren't loud, dramatic revelations, but whispers, fine things you have to learn to listen for.
—Is it fantasy or comedy?
Both. The fantastical gives it its world, but the humor keeps the book light. I wanted it to be mysterious without being dark, poetic without being too serious.
—Is it serious, or tongue-in-cheek?
Somewhere between the two. The book is written with humor, but it also touches on deeper things: dreams, fatigue, fear, attention, the bond with an animal, and the way the everyday can become wondrous.
—Will there be a sequel?
I already have other ideas. This first book opens up a world built around cats, dreams, and the invisible. There's clearly more to explore — other stories, perhaps with other animals or other kinds of mystery.
French edition available on Amazon
Curious about Moustache?
Murmures nocturnes by Sylvain Degeorges is available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon (French edition). The English edition, Nocturnal Whispers, is coming soon.