African Reading Group London : Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian

Sat 29 July 2017 16:00 – 17:30

Winner of the John Avery Award at the André Simon Food & Drink Book Awards 2016.

New Edition of our African Reading Group London which meets regularly to discuss new and classic fiction form the continent.

“A breathtakingly original and fresh piece of food writing, which I found myself compulsively rereading. Aribisala is that rare writer who makes you laugh while also informing you about Nigerian food, which, as she points out, is something that has been ‘misunderstood, atrociously photographed, not yet given its due.’ Thanks to this book, this should now change”.Bee Wilson, food critic, author, and journalist

“Aribisala summersaults through geography, economics, popular culture, art, history, (and yes, of course, sex) via cuisine. Her tales of Nigeria’s many mouth-watering foods are globally spiced with riffs on everything from Yorkshire puddings and Eccles cakes, to the tartufi bianchi, and South Asian red curries. Aribisala writes with verve, sass, and with such humor and confidence that it takes one’s breath away. If ever a book deserves to be a bestseller, this is it”. Sarah Ladipo Manyika, author of Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun

About the book :

Longthroat Memoirs presents a sumptuous menu of essays about Nigerian cuisine, lovingly presented by the nation’s top epicurean writer. As well as a mouth-watering appraisal of the cultural politics and erotics of Nigerian food, it is also a series of love letters to the Nigerian palate. From the cultural history of soup, fish as aphrodisiac and the sensual allure of snails, Longthroat Memoirs explores the complexities, the meticulousness, and the tactile joy of Nigerian gastronomy.

About Yemisi Aribisala :

Yemisi Aribisala is a writer and a lover of good food. She has written about Nigerian food for over seven years; for 234Next, the Chimurenga Chronic, and at her personal blog, www.longthroatmemoirs.com. Her essays on food are a lens through which the complex entity of Nigeria is observed. Yemisi has also written essays on various topics including Nigerian Christianity and identity. Her essays can be read online under Yemisi Ogbe.

“As well as a mouth-watering appraisal of the cultural politics and erotics of Nigerian cuisine, it is also a series of love letters to the Nigerian palate”. Brittle Paper

“Every so often a book comes along that defies categorization. Longthroat Memoirs is one of these. Part straight cookbook, part cultural history, part travelogue, part intimate confessional”. Marta Maretich

“Yemisi Aribisala definitely knows her stuff, the journeys she has taken in this country for food are fascinating. With the result being an essay collection that is witty, informative, heartbreaking and delicious”. Homeland Reviews

“I think I can say boldly that nothing like Aribisala’s book has been written before. It is a delicious collection of essays that serves you witty stories of food, food culture and even recipes. But no, it is not a cook book. It is a book that evokes nostalgic memories, some dreaded, some sweet, some just plane feel good memories, like the sound of your mother’s metal cooking spoon, hitting the edge of the cooking pot filled with delicious jollof rice which is a way to let the rice stuck on the spoon back into the pot, but which truly signified that food was ready”. Eclectictope