‘A delightful collection of original, vibrant and heart-warming writing.’ – Nigel Slater

‘I learned that before entering the kitchen, I must get the measure of its hold over me.’

Food can embody our personal history as well as wider cultural histories. But what are the stories we tell ourselves about the kitchen, and how do we first come to it? How do the cookbooks we read shape us? Can cooking be a tool for connection in the kitchen and outside of it?

In these essays thirteen writers consider the subjects of cooking and eating and how they shape our lives, and the possibilities and limitations the kitchen poses. Rachel Roddy traces an alternative personal history through the cookers in her life; Rebecca May Johnson considers the radical potential of finger food; Ruby Tandoh discovers other definitions of sweetness through the work of writer Doreen Fernandez; Yemisí Aríbisálà remembers a love affair in which food failed as a language; and Julia Turshen considers food’s ties to community.

A collection to savour and inspire, In the Kitchen brings together thirteen contemporary writers whose work brilliantly explores food, capturing their reflections on their experiences in the kitchen and beyond.

Contributors:

Juliet Annan | Yemisí Aríbisálà | Laura Freeman

Joel Golby | Daisy Johnson 

Rebecca May Johnson | Rebecca Liu | Nina Mingya Powles 

Ella Risbridger | Rachel Roddy 

Mayukh Sen | Ruby Tandoh | Julia Turshen 

‘A moving and beautiful tribute to food and taste and how these essential things wrap themselves round the colour of our lives.’ – Stylist

‘Immerse yourself in the culinary charms of this foodie essay collection.’ – Town & Country

‘This warming and varied collection of essays on food, cooking and all the emotions that get tangled up in the process, is a true balm.’ – New Statesman

‘In the Kitchen is literary comfort food for the soul and I heartily recommend it.’ –  Idler