Bloomsbury snaffles Melissa Thompson's Jamaican food 'celebration'

​Bloomsbury has signed debut cookbook Motherland, from journalist and founder of London pop-up Fowl Mouths Food Melissa Thompson.

The book will feature recipes that take cooks "on a journey" from the root of specific dishes to modern meals now eaten around the world. In-depth research is woven into the recipes, from the legacy of the indigenous Amerindians, the impact of British and Spanish colonisation on the nation’s gastronomy, to the huge contribution from the enslaved people of west and central Africa and indentured workers from China and India.

"Though sometimes brutal, Motherland doesn’t shy away from the 500-year story that makes Jamaican food the unique cuisine it is today," the synopsis reads.

Born in Dorset to a Jamaican father and Maltese mother, Thompson's food has always been an eclectic celebration of cuisines around the world.  A journalist for 15 years, she is a columnist for BBC Good Food and recipe writer for platforms including the Guardian and Waitrose Weekend. She has also penned articles on the British food industry that have become focal points for important discussions around identity, diversity and inclusivity, and has spoken on issues of representation at talks, including regularly chairing panel discussions for the British Library’s Food Season events, where she will also be a co-director next year.

Rowan Yapp, publishing director of Bloomsbury’s illustrated list, acquired the debut cookbook from Thompson. World rights were bought from Heather Holden Brown at HHB Agency for publication in autumn 2022. 

Commenting on her book, she said: "I’m really chuffed to be publishing Motherland with Rowan and Bloomsbury. Jamaica’s food is so special, born out of a set of very unique circumstances, so it’s been a huge privilege to be able to write this book."

Yapp said of the book: "Motherland is wonderful celebration of Jamaican food. The recipes are amazing and what is unique about this book is the compelling way Melissa uses food to tell the island’s story. That is powerful because food says so much about people’s day-to-day lives as well as the big societal picture."