Stanley Tucci food memoir pre-empted by Fig Tree

Penguin General imprint Fig Tree has bought a food memoir by actor and author Stanley Tucci in a 24-hour pre-empt.

Publishing director Juliet Annan acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to Taste: My Life Through Food from Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown. It will be published in hardback on 6th July 2021.

The synopsis reads: “Taste: My Life Through Food will be an intimate and charming reflection of his life and relationship to​ food, filled with anecdotes and memories from growing up in Westchester, culinary experiences while preparing ​for and filming 'Big Night' and 'Julie & Julia', among others, falling in love over dinner, and his home life where he is constantly preparing meals with his wife for their family. Written with Stanley’s signature style of wry humor and nostalgia, his memoir will be his gastronomic journey through life... so far. 

Tucci is an actor known for roles in “The Lovely Bones”, which secured him his first Oscar nomination, “The Devil Wears Prada” and “The Hunger Games”. He has previously published two cookbooks in the UK, The Tucci Table (Orion), written with his wife and literary agent Blunt, and The Tucci Cookbook (Gallery).

He said: “I am so happy that this work has found such a happy home with the wonderful Juliet, Fig Tree and the wider team of Penguin General.”

Annan said “I had read Stanley Tucci’s wonderfully funny Atlantic piece, and as the publisher in the UK of Julie & Julia and Laurie Colwin’s Home Cooking, this felt like a great match. I knew no other publisher should be allowed to get near his Negronis; luckily my colleagues at Penguin General agreed and we pre-empted from Felicity Blunt within 24 hours. I am so pleased that this is the last book I will acquire at Penguin. We are thrilled and proud to publish him.”