In 2025, I interviewed food writers Olia Hercules and Felicity Spector at the Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival. The audience's reaction was so enthusiastic and warm that the idea of creating a dedicated food events programme within the wider festival felt both intuitive and logical.

I'm incredibly proud to have been asked to curate the 2026 Food Events Programme and I have enjoyed every minute of working with an incredibly supportive festival team. Food writing has a remarkable ability to connect us through memory, culture, family, and place, and I believe that richness is reflected in the authors who have agreed to appear. Each brings a unique perspective, but they all share the rare gift of making the personal feel universal, something I believe is the hallmark of a truly exceptional writer and speaker.