Hamlyn acquires Din’s debut cookbook in four-way auction

Hamlyn, an imprint of Octopus Books, has acquired Desified by content creator and “originator of the Ramadan Recipes TikTok trend” Zaynah Din.

Publishing director Eleanor Maxfield bought world all-language rights in a “hotly contested” four-way auction from Silé Edwards, agent at Andrew Nurnberg Associates. The book is now being published by Hamlyn editorial director Natalie Bradley. Desified will be published in February 2024.

Inspired by the core principles of Ramadan, the book is described as a celebration of South Asian flavours and spices, with 90 recipes ranging from classics such. as Karahi chicken, Lamb biryani and Pistachio kulfi to global dishes with a desi twist such as Butter chicken burgers, Spaghetti keema and Chai churros.

Din is an award-winning digital marketer, content creator and passionate home cook. She started "ZaynahsBakes" on Instagram for a school project in 2016 and in one year transformed it into a local cupcake business with over 5,000 followers. She spent five years in the tech industry where she specialised in business marketing and began a viral content series called "Ramadan Recipes", a 30-day recipe series for Ramadan, across TikTok and Instagram. She quickly grew her audience from 10,000 to 100,000 followers in March 2021, the publisher says.

Din said: “I feel honoured to be working with Octopus on my first book. I’ve created Desified as a guide to South Asian-inspired recipes which are simple to make without compromising on the authentic taste. Writing this book has been an incredible experience, and I am so excited to be taking the  next step in my food writing career. The team at Octopus have been so supportive in making my dream a reality and I can’t wait to see Desified hit the shelves.”

Bradley said: “It has been such a joy to work with Zaynah on her first cookbook. Zaynah’s ethos is to create recipes that are convenient and quick to make, making this book perfect for Muslims who are fasting during Ramadan, but also handy whenever you want an easy meal.”

Edwards said of the acquisition: “Even at submission stage the response to Zaynah’s first book was incredible. It is testament to her incredible cooking skills and her magnetic personality. Her one-pot Salmon from the original Ramadan Recipe series was the first time I had ever cooked from TikTok and I have made pretty much all the food she has posted since. I can’t wait to press this book into the hands of every home cook I know.”