A Thousand Feasts: Small Moments of Joy … A Memoir of Sorts cover art

A Thousand Feasts: Small Moments of Joy … A Memoir of Sorts

Small Moments of Joy … A Memoir of Sorts

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A Thousand Feasts: Small Moments of Joy … A Memoir of Sorts

By: Nigel Slater
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About this listen

THE INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

From award-winning writer Nigel Slater, comes a new and exquisitely written collection of notes, memoir, stories and small moments of joy.

'Nigel Slater’s prose is the rarest delicacy of all: exquisite yet effortless, filled with heart, tenderness, yearning and humour' ELIZABETH DAY

For years, Nigel Slater has kept notebooks of curiosities and wonderings, penned while at his kitchen table, soaked in a fisherman’s hut in Reykjavik, sitting calmly in a moss garden in Japan or sheltering from a blizzard in a Vienna Konditorei.

These are the small moments, events and happenings that gave pleasure before they disappeared. Miso soup for breakfast, packing a suitcase for a trip and watching a butterfly settle on a carpet, hiding in plain sight. He gives short stories of feasts such as a mango eaten in monsoon rain or a dish of restorative macaroni cheese and homes in on the scent of freshly picked sweet peas and the sound of water breathing at night in Japan.

This funny and sharply observed collection of the good bits of life, often things that pass many of us by, is utter joy from beginning to end.

‘I loved this. It is a secular book of hours – thoughts and pleasures beautifully cadenced and generously placed’ Edmund de Waal

‘Nigel Slater has a magical capacity to find beauty in the smallest moments. A nourishing, sustaining book’ Olivia Laing

‘His evocative, uplifting observations are a balm for life: a prose-poem for eaters and a spiritual companion for thoughtful cooks. A true and enduring joy’ Nigella Lawson

‘You can’t always feel buoyant and grateful but noticing – and getting pleasure from – the seemingly insignificant is a good way to live. As he says, feel the “small moments of joy”’ Diana Henry

©2024 Nigel Slater (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Crafts & Hobbies Culinary Food & Wine Gardening & Horticulture Gastronomy Professionals & Academics Travel Writing & Commentary Memoir Funny Heartfelt

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Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR A THOUSAND FEASTS:

‘Slater is at his best on food and travel: his ability to evoke a culture and a mood (and his food writing by itself does both) is remarkable … He is a purveyor of the good life, simplicity, cosiness and warmth’ Sunday Times

‘Slater’s greatest talent is making the ordinary extraordinary, showing us how to revel in a ripe fig or a piece of cheese … He may worry that he sounds trite and that his musings on diminutive pleasures are trivial, that he hasn’t answered any of the big questions about the universe, but as I leave I feel grateful for Slater, the god of small things’ The Times

‘I loved this. It is a secular book of hours – thoughts and pleasures beautifully cadenced and generously placed’ Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber Eyes

‘Nigel Slater has a magical capacity to find beauty in the smallest moments. A nourishing, sustaining book’ Olivia Laing, author of The Garden Against Time

‘Nigel Slater’s prose is the rarest delicacy of all: exquisite yet effortless, filled with heart, tenderness, yearning and humour. I feel so lucky to exist in a time when Slater is writing about what it is to be alive' Elizabeth Day, author of Friendaholic

‘The granular detail and the passion are obviously signature Slater, but this book feels different: a sort of timeless diary, with its glimpsed, generous offerings to the tired reader, who in days like ours might forget that there’s still so much beauty to be had’ Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist

Toast brandished food as a weapon. Feasts provides a panacea, allowing the author the boyhood moments he was denied, whether sneaking bites of biscuit batter or fretting in Tokyo under the stern, schoolmistress glare of a “disapproving eel lady” … ephemeral and enriched by pathos’ Irish Times

All stars
Most relevant
What a gorgeous book, beautifully read and full of the loveliest, joyful and poignant moments and memories. I’ve bought the hardback too for my best friend!

A feast of delight

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This is not a cookbook (for anyone not quite realizing this already), but its definitely an appreciation, of food, of time well spent, of ...well....moments.
I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. I find Nigel's TV shows calm me after hectic days and this is even better - Nigel while I'm on the go, reminding me to take time to appreciate those small moments of joy each day, which so often pass us by. It makes me want to keep my own notes and journals to make sure I don't forget them.
Listen, and feel your blood pressure drop, and your shoulders relax (at least mine do). Highly recommended for a more chilled and appreciative self.

Small moments of joy indeed

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Perfect eclectic
following hip replacement
Felt that Nigel was addressing me personally
Love all his books- especially audio versions

Wonderful companion

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Really good listen, loved each snippet and how you are transported quickly back and forth between multiple countries. Small and meaningful moments of life and it’s amazing food.

Such a great take on moments in life

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I’ve spent the last few evenings with Nigel as my bedtime companion, snuggled up listening to this relaxing and well paced narration of this part memoir. I find him one of the more appealing of the modern chefs. He’s so laid back but brings a homely comforting energy to his stories and recipes. There are no recipes here; its insights into various parts of his life over some years and at home and in different parts of the world, He narrates his snippets and jottings. Some a short sentence if few words, it still conjure a memorable image. Others longer particularly his trips to Japan and the Middle East. His experiences and thoughts are so diverse. Gracious and colourful Japan, threats and fear in Teheran but all are compelling. In addition to being, in my view, an excellent cook, I find him a great storyteller with a keen eye for detail. He’s such an unassuming individual and I loved his stories of renovation to his property and the battle of the mouse. I’ll listen to this again at some point.

Box of delights

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