Prospect Books, 1995 | Hardcover, 102pp | 14 x 22.5 cm | First UK Edition
A curious hybrid of cookbook, memoir and literary tribute. Hilary Pym stitches together quotations from her sister Barbara Pym’s novels and diaries, her own memories of the meals they cooked and the original recipes themselves - scribbled in kitchen notebooks, jotted on scraps of paper, passed through the family. Honor Wyatt contributes practical culinary advice, while John Francis’s sharp introduction situates Pym’s food writing in the wider context of postwar English life.
The result is a domestic and anthropological archive: wartime austerity puddings, postwar “tried favourites” and the first experimental forays of the British middle classes into Mediterranean dishes (vine leaves, dolmadhes, keftadhes). Chapters follow the classic recipe-book form: starters, mains, puddings, tea and a postscript on drinks, but the texture is Pym’s wry voice everywhere, refracted through family memory and character study.
The standout cover - a riot of bold colours and folklore-inspired forms - frames a text illustrated in black and white by Frankie Pollak.
As Paul Bailey noted, “Enchanting, unpretentious and useful. One senses Barbara Pym’s wry presence on every page. This isn’t just a collection of recipes - it welcomes the reader as a kindred spirit.”
Very good condition: Clean, bright copy in sturdy illustrated boards. Light bumping to edges and corners. Spine firm, binding tight. Pages crisp and unmarked. A neat gift inscription on title page. A well-preserved example of this uncommon first UK edition.
