Community News: Bow Books, Royston – Life in Tunisia
Bow Books welcomed yet another local talented author to its Folio Lounge last Tuesday and the invited audience was treated to an unusual evening that encompassed an intriguing story and samples of her home prepared Mediterranean food.
Hafida Latta, who now resides in Royston, was promoting her two new publications, ‘A Daughter of Kairouan’, which she read passages of, and ‘The Tunisian Cookbook’, which is a celebration of healthy red cuisine from Carthage to Kairouan.
The author was born in Kairouan, north Tunisia, in 1944 and was brought up in the house of her late grandfather who was a writer, poet, and social reformer. Her childhood in the company of her widowed mother, grandmother, and invalid aunt, unencumbered by male presence, gave her an acute interest in two different loves: academic knowledge at school and the oxygen of family life represented by all aspects of food. Hafida shopped at an early age, her grandmother cooked, and they all sat around eating and talking about food, tastes, aromas, spices, and the health benefits of the various ingredients. She still remembers the pride people took in exchanging recipes which were shared, cherished, and passed down the generations like an inheritance.
Hafida went on to marry a British diplomat and found herself living on the international merry-go-round of diplomatic life where the tastes and aromas of food brought back familiar comparisons and contrasts with the experiences of her childhood. So, she joined every women’s group and club that she came across, from Karachi (Pakistan), to Beirut in Lebanon, and from Amman in Jordan to Alcossebre (Spain). And she continued to study, compile, and compare the diets and recipes that she encountered, and life as an expat.
The author’s lifelong love of food, her experience of international cuisine, and, above all her appreciation of the Mediterranean culinary traditions, have inspired her to write this book – a celebration of healthy eating and all the traditions that surround it.
Paul Bowes, proprietor of the bookstore, remarked he was delighted that Hafida had taken the time to come along to the shop to talk to his invited guests. “Everyone was engrossed in hearing Hafida’s amazing life story, whilst equally enjoying the Tunisian food samples that she had prepared for us, which were made even more special when she explained the many healthy benefits”, he said.
Last words from Hafida: “Enjoy your food in the company of friends”.
Story Time at Bow Books – Continuing with its community minded activities, Bow Books is running a series of story time afternoons from September 11th to October 16th. Aimed at 5-8 year olds, local lady Zoe Thorne has volunteered to read a different book each day, and then explore the story and its characters. She is encouraging parents to register their children well in advance for the sessions which will take place in the cosy Folio Lounge between 4-4.30 pm. The sessions are free but please book in via email to Zoe: zathorne@gmail.com
