Food writer thrills audience at Wellington Literary Festival
Food writer Josceline Dimbleby thrilled a packed audience at the Wellington Literary Festival with tales of travel, family intrigue and taste – and lots and lots of tarts.
From being sent as a seven-year-old to join her diplomat father in Syria, via trekking around Turkey in a mini skirt to learning recipes in the kitchen of her grandmother, the writer, in conversation with former Wellington mayor Lesley Street at New College, in Wellington, last night, gave vivid glimpses of a packed life.
All of it was interspersed with food, from the exotic tastes she picked up in the Middle East and India to the love of puddings that led to her own children nicknaming her the Queen of Tarts.
She also spoke about her non-food book A Profound Secret, in which she painstakingly researched the family story of a passionate affair with a famous painter and the mysterious death of a heartbroken great-aunt.
Mrs Dimbleby stayed to sign books and chat with her appreciative audience.
At the festival tonight, Wellington author Rachel Crowther will be joined on stage by poets Catherine Smith and Jenny Lewis at the Studio, Wrekin College, from 7.30pm.
A Meet The Author event was being held today at Wellington Library from 10am to 2pm, with Wellington poet Mollie Bolt, and writers Simon Whaley, Clemy Warner Tho-mpson and Rico Paris. On Monday Rachel will lead a reading group at The Old Orleton Inn, from 10.30am. All talks are free.
