James May TV tie-in cookbook bagged by Pavilion

Pavilion has bagged James May's first cookbook, the official tie-in with his upcoming series for Amazon Prime Video.

Publisher Helen Lewis acquired world rights to Oh Cook! 60 Easy Recipes That Any Idiot Can Make from Charlotte Robertson at Robertson Murray Literary Agency. The book will be published in hardback on 1st October 2020.

Seven-part series "Oh Cook", produced by Plum Pictures, will launch exclusively on Prime Video in the autumn, in more than 200 countries and territories.

May was one-third of the BBC’s hit show “Top Gear" and now co-hosts “The Grand Tour” on Amazon. His previous books include The Reassembler (Hodder & Stoughton, 2017) and James May's Magnificent Machines (Hodder & Stoughton, 2012).

His new book is “a foolproof manual packed with more than 60 easy recipes for even the most basic of home cooks”. Its synopsis says: “Taking readers on a culinary tour (around his kitchen), James builds upon his cookery skills, recreating dishes from his travels as well as rediscovering some nostalgic childhood favourites along the way.”

May said: “This is not a fantasy recipe book for food fetishists, full of soft-focus pictures of improbable art food. This is more of a workshop manual; a how-to guide for beginners that will become smeared with gravy and ketchup stains through constant service in the kitchen.”

Lewis added: “From the moment this book was commissioned to run alongside the forthcoming TV series of the same name, James has worked tirelessly in his kitchen trying out lots of recipes and cooking methods in order to create the perfect version of his favourite dishes. Predictably, he has now become something of an expert, and his kitchen experimentations will enable his readers to cook delicious food at home.”