“Food is a lifeline for dark times. It is needed on the frontlines, and it is needed in the bomb shelter. It is carried off to war, and it is dreamt of by those who suddenly find themselves far from home. Though manmade famines, backed by political decrees, have killed millions, especially in the grain-growing countries of Ukraine and Kazakhstan, food is inherently anti-war. Because it grows, not kills, because it feeds, not starves, and because it provides for tomorrow. Food is in favour of love, not war. And it is when we are most lost at sea, like right now, that food can help us swim back to ourselves.”
Caroline Eden
In light of the devastating war in Ukraine, join three award-winning writers – Olia Hercules, Alissa Timoshkina and Caroline Eden (chairing the conversation) – who will talk about the role of food in these most difficult of times. They will discuss: how food connects the countries of Russia and Ukraine; unique wartime, and peacetime, culinary stories; the role of food in cultural dialogues and the wider environmental, emotional and financial impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Due to popular demand, we have added more tickets and will be showing the event as a livestream in the screening room, in addition to the live event. Seats in the main room will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, after which all remaining ticket holders will be able to watch the event live in the screening room.
You will be able to meet the speakers before and after the event, and food and drink are included with every ticket. Please do not arrive more than 30 minutes before the event starts.
Food and drinks reception is included in the ticket price.
All proceeds from the event (including book sales) will be directed to #CookForUkraine campaign, fundraising for Unicef UK.
We will stream the event live on our YouTube channel for free (link below), with the request that you donate directly to the #CookForUkraine campaign. The stream will begin on 16 March at 7pm.
The talk and the stream will start at 7.30pm
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Caroline Eden is a writer and critic contributing to The Guardian, BBC and The Times Literary Supplement. Her latest book, Red Sands (Quadrille, 2020), is the follow-up to Black Sea, and the second instalment of the ‘colour trilogy.’ A reimagining of traditional travel writing, using food as the jumping-off point to explore Central Asia, the book navigates a course from the shores of the Caspian Sea to the sun-ripened orchards of the Fergana Valley. The Financial Times, Sunday Times and The New Yorker selected as a ‘book of the year’ for 2020. It also won the André Simon Award for best food book 2020.
Olia Hercules (pictured top right) was born in the south of Ukraine in 1984. She left her home town Kakhovka at the age of twelve, when she moved to Cyprus. She moved to the UK for university, after which Olia settled in London, pursuing a journalistic career. Following the financial crisis of 2008, Olia decided to quit her job as a reporter to pursue her dream to cook for a living. She trained at the renowned Leiths School of Food and Wine and then worked as a chef de partie in restaurants, including Ottolenghi, and as a recipe developer before landing a book deal for Mamushka, a cookbook that celebrates her family recipes, from Ukraine and Moldova to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Mamushka has won the prestigious Fortnum and Mason Award for best debut cookbook 2016 and to date has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.
Alissa Timoshkina (pictured top left) is a Russian London-based food writer, chef, cookery teacher and events curator. Alissa came to the UK in 1999 from Russia to study and never looked back. Gaining a PhD in film history, she lectured and published on the subject of Russian and European cinemas, and also worked as curator and coordinator of film festivals in London. However, her passion for cooking and hosting dinner parties gradually turned into an obsession and Alissa left her job to launch a new project: a cinema-supper club called KinoVino, which offers film screenings and sit-down dinners with unique menus inspired by films. Since its launch in May 2015, KinoVino has established a reputation as one of London’s most original projects, being named one of the 10 best supper clubs in London by Time Out. Alissa has also launched a private events branch of KinoVino, organising product launches and private gatherings. Alissa was also shortlisted for the 2017 Young British Foodie Awards. She published her first cookbook Salt and Time in 2021 to great acclaim.
A big thank you from Pushkin House to our food and drinks sponsors below:
Social Pantry – partners of the campaign #CookForUkraine are generously offering the most amazing menu for the night.
Dima's Vodka will provide a multi-award winning Ukrainian vodka made from wheat, rye and barley.
Karaway Bakery – a family-run, award-winning bakery are kindly supplying sweet pastries for the event.