HarperCollins buys Ibiza cookbook

HarperCollins has bought what is being billed as the first recipe book to showcase Ibiza cuisine.

HarperNonFiction publisher Grace Cheetham acquired world rights to Eivissa by Anne Sijmonsbergen from Eugenie Furniss at Furniss Lawton and will publish on 2nd June (£20 hardback).

The publisher described Ibiza as "on the cusp of a food revolution" with its traditional farming and fishing culture supplemented with a wave of chefs and producers making artisan products and "vibrant" food.

Sijmonsbergen is a chef and organic tomato farmer who moved to the island with her husband 10 years ago, buying a 450-year-old farmhouse. "Her tenure there has coincided with this food revolution, and has led her on an odyssey to discover the food of the island and the people who make it," said HarperCollins.

Eivissa will reflect the heritage of the Ibicenco cuisine, but with contemporary, seasonal twists, with recipes including Grilled Courgette Ribbons or Asparagus & Mint Tostada for spring, or Steamed Mussels with Samphire or Chicken with Roasted Figs for Autumn.

The book is said to be full of "stunning photography, shot on location in Ibiza, featuring both the food and the island's beautiful backdrop", with the publisher targeting the Polpo/Persiana market and promising Eivissa will have "all the ingredients to make it the iconic cookbook of the year".

Cheetham said: "We’re so excited to be publishing Eivissa. Anne’s recipes represent the diverse and incredible flavours found in Ibicenco cuisine today, and they’re simple to make and perfect to share. For so many people there are memories of fun-filled summer holidays on the island. And this is the book that they’ll reach out for to recreate vivid, memorable meals. There has never been a book in this area and there’s a real gap in the market – and with Eivissa we have a fantastic opportunity to publish something quite magical."