Faber grabs a ‘love letter’ to crisps by journalist Natalie Whittle

Faber has scooped journalist Natalie Whittle’s “love letter” to crisps, Crunch, which is described as a “cultural history”. 

Senior commissioning editor Fiona Crosby bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Robbie Guillory at Underline Literary Agency, and the book will be published in hardback on 10th October 2024.

“Crunch: An Ode to Crisps is journalist Natalie Whittle’s love letter to the salty siren,” the synopsis says. “She traces their evolution from the simplicity of salt sachets in the early 20th century, to 80s childhood favourites, to the popularity of ‘hand-cooked’ gourmet flavours today. Featuring crisp collectors, potato growers, flavour wizards and more, Crunch is a moreish read spanning 150 years of crisp history.”

Whittle added: “To have fallen under a prawn cocktail spell as a child, and now have the chance to explore the wider crisp universe for Faber, is a true delight. The research has revolutionised how I view this seemingly simple snack, and I continue to be amazed by how crisps have soaked up so much complex social and cultural change over the years.”

Crosby commented: “Crunch is a joyous book, packed with more than a century of crisp cultural history. Natalie is the perfect person to conduct this journalistic deep dive and, along the way, beautifully captures why people feel so passionately about crisps – why they are bound up in ideas of childhood, nostalgia and comfort.”