Anticipated Titles of 2019

We’re delighted to have so many exciting Blake Friedmann titles published in 2019 – many of these have already been recognised as books to look out for, so here’s a taster of what’s being said …

MANDALAY: Recipes and Tales from a Burmese Kitchen by MiMi Aye (Bloomsbury Absolute, June)

‘June sees the launch of MANDALAY, a new book by MiMi Aye featuring nearly 100 simple Burmese recipes – from the national dish of mohinga (a fish chowder with rice noodles and lemongrass, traditionally served at breakfast) to lahpet thoke, a classic Burmese salad of pickled green tea leaves.’ — Olive Magazine, The 2019 Foodie Trend Report

‘Burmese food is set to become more popular with the publication of Mimi Aye’s MANDALAY.’ — Evening Standard, Veganuary 2019

‘Compared with its Thai neighbour, Burmese food is relatively unknown in the UK. That’s about to change, thanks to MANDALAY: Recipes and Tales from a Burmese Kitchen, a sumptuous cookbook by MiMi Aye, published by Bloomsbury in June.’ — The Times, The Biggest Food Trends of 2019

LOWBORN: Growing Up, Getting Away and Returning to Britain’s Poorest Towns by Kerry Hudson (Chatto & Windus, May)

LOWBORN will be a Book of the Week on BBC Radio 4

Kerry Hudson looks back at her impoverished childhood, and travels around Britain asking what being poor means today.’ — The Guardian, 2019 in Books: What You’ll Be Reading This Year

‘Kerry Hudson’s memoir LOWBORN: Growing Up, Getting Away and Returning to Britain’s Poorest Towns… arrive[s] with a sense of urgency.’ — New Statesman, Back to the Future: What to Read in 2019

'Powerful and moving... An emotional and important read.' — iNews, 10 Best Books to Read in 2019

THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL by Peter James (Stage Production)

Peter James’s THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL has now been adapted for stage, starring BAFTA nominated actor and 2017 winner of BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing Joe McFadden as Ollie Harcourt, alongside Rita Simons (who played Roxy Mitchell in EastEnders) as Caro. The chilling sequel, THE SECRET OF COLD HILL, will be published in hardback by Pan Macmillan in October 2019.

See more about the tour schedule for THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL here.

‘There is an argument to be made that Peter James should have been on our “people who have had a great 2018” list. Two books out, including one to add to his famed Roy Grace series, Peter has certainly been busy in the past 12 months. This year is sure to be no different as the HOUSE ON COLD HILL show, based on his 2015 novel, goes on tour. While Peter may not be part of the show itself there is no doubt that the touring production will shine a further light on the book and the success or failure of the tour will affect him hugely. That is why he makes this list.’ — The Argus, Five Sussex Stars Who Will Have a Great 2019

SHADOWPLAY by Joseph O’Connor (Harvill Secker, June)

‘Fans of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, meanwhile, will be keen to get hold of Joseph O’Connor’s SHADOWPLAY which follows Stoker as he wanders the fog-bound streets of Victorian London.’ — Irish Times, Books to Look Forward to in 2019

SAFE edited by Derek Owusu (Trapeze, March)
‘In an impressive roster of contributors, journalist Musa Okwonga’s chapter “The Good Bisexual” is a long overdue – and delicate – insight into the challenges black bisexual men face, from queer puberty, the double burden of racism and homophobia, homophobic harassment in the workplace, and ultimately, self-acceptance. A refreshing insight, given that black, bi men’s experiences are routinely rendered invisible.’ — Dazed, 11 New LQBTQ Books to Read in 2019

EAT IT ANYWAY by Eve Simmons and Laura Dennison (Mitchell Beazley, January)

‘In EAT IT ANYWAY, journalists Simmons and Dennison – founders of the website Not Plant Based – aim to dispel dietary myths and help others, who like them, have suffered from eating disorders, to rediscover their love of food.’ — The Irish Independent, The 72 Books We’ll Be Talking About in the First Half of 2019

THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS: Christopher Columbus, His Son, and the Quest to Build the World’s Greatest Library by Edward Wilson-Lee (Scribner, March)

‘This isn’t only a biography of Christopher Columbus and his son Hernando; it’s also a paean to the family library, which at its peak contained 20,000 printed materials, including music and images, obsessively collected from all over Europe.’ – Publishers Weekly, ‘Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2019’

And here’s a reminder of the Blake Friedmann titles and authors mentioned in Best of 2018 lists.

 

A TASTE OF BURMA: MIMI AYE’S COOKBOOK MANDALAY ACQUIRED BY ABSOLUTE PRESS

World rights (all languages) have been snapped up by Jon Croft, Publisher at Absolute Press for Burmese home cook and food writer MiMi Aye’s delectable new book MANDALAY: BURMESE FOOD & BEYOND from Juliet Pickering at Blake Friedmann Agency.

Set to be released in June 2019, MANDALAY offers a joyful celebration of the little-known cuisine of Burma, a.k.a. Myanmar, featuring over 100 simple but authentic recipes revealing the secrets of the Burmese kitchen. Full of dazzling dishes – from Burma’s national dish of mohinga, a fish chowder with rice noodles and lemongrass traditionally served at breakfast, to steamed fish in banana leaf, and lahpet thohk, a classic Burmese salad of pickled green tea – the book will demystify the unique flavours of Burma.

A passionate advocate for Burmese food, MiMi’s recipes will be interspersed with stories about Burmese culture and traditions, eating and serving customs, as well as typical menus and a glossary of ingredients and alternatives found closer to home – a must-read for everyone interested in Asian cuisine and culture.

MiMi Aye said, “Located in Southeast Asia, between Bangladesh and Thailand and near India and China, Burma’s cuisine is influenced by these neighbours, but also combines techniques and ingredients with flavours of its own to make something subtle, delicious and unique. I’m delighted to be sharing this multitude of flavours, scents, colours, and textures in my new book MANDALAY: BURMESE FOOD & BEYOND. We eat with all of our senses, and here we can indulge each and every one of them: the aroma from a bubbling pot of beef and lentil stew; the multi-coloured vision of a rainbow salad of carrots, potatoes, chillies and coriander; the sensation of rice noodles silky with a rich tomato and kaffir lime sauce; or the crunch of a handful of home-made paprika potato crisps.”

Jon Croft said, “I am thrilled that Absolute Press is to publish MiMi’s enchanting and accessible tour around the little-explored and delicious cuisine of Burma. MiMi is recognised as the go-to authority for Burmese food and the irresistible combination of wonderful family recipes coupled with her own personal stories brings Burma to life in all its culinary and cultural glory”.

MiMi’s first book NOODLE! 100 Great Recipes, a celebration of noodles and their versatility, was published by Absolute Press in 2014. In The Mail, Tom Parker-Bowles hailed it as ‘comprehensive, well written and fascinating’. Further recommended by The Telegraph, The Guardian, and Lonely Planet amongst others

About the author

British-born to Burmese parents, MiMi Aye has spent her whole life soaking up Burmese food, language, and culture through endless trips to see family and friends in Burma, as well as back at home. A passionate advocate for Burmese cuisine, she is the writer of www.meemalee.com, founder of supper club and community, Burmese Food and Beyond, and author of NOODLE! 100 Great Recipes (Absolute Press). MiMi has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Radio 4’s Food Programme, and BBC Two’s A Question of Taste, and her recipes have also appeared in METRO, The Evening Standard, Woman & Home and Red magazines.

She is featured as a chef on the Good Food Channel online, and her recipes have been featured on Channel 4

Follow MiMi on Twitter

Visit her Instagram