The tales, meditations and parables in this volume each centre in some way around an animal motif, raising questions about the mysterious forces we are subject to, and the ways in which we subject others to our own fears and desires. From short lyrical prose pieces about insects and birds, through dreamlike stories of talking whales and magical menageries, to passages resembling documentary of an overlooked or immaterial London existence, In cages, as in dreams is a collection that explores the prisons we can make of memory, grief, and the habits of our daily routines and modes of thinking. Written conjointly with Eclectica Canticorum, the two books are counterparts, enduring an oddly symbiotic relationship. Praise for James Wilson 'A writer perfectly attuned to the music of disappointment and the emptiness of crowded places' -John Muckle, Tears in the Fence 'The universal themes, the historical photos, the fine language... Savor this rare, truly creative work' -Leslie Raith, Curled up with A Good Book 'a sequence of searches...for what vanishes, for the transient and evanescent, the indeterminate and enigmatic' -Mike Freeman, The Literary London Journal 'Private and mysterious...the pieces read like moments snatched from dreams' -Terry Pitts, Vertigo