From cookbook to fiction: why is food such an inspiration to writers?
It’s a relationship that goes back to Classical Greek times, possible even earlier. Think Ambrosia - the food of the Greek Gods in Homer’s Odyssey or the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland. More recently there’s been Joanne Harris’ food trilogy –Chocolat, Blackberry Wine and Five Quarters of the Orange. It’s not just in novels there has been a crossover with cookbooks like Nigel Slater’s autobiography "Toast".
To discuss the way food is used in literature, Ritula talks to Dr Dimitra Fimi – who teaches a course on ‘Food in Fiction’ at Cardiff University, and the author, Mary Contini, short listed for a World Food book award for her first novel ‘Dear Francesca’.
Dear Olivia: An Italian Journey of Love and Courage by Mary Contini is published by Canongate Books Ltd, ISBN 978 1 84195 982 5
