Soomaaliya: A Cookbook
Ifrah Ahmed
(Hardie Grant, 2026) 

In Somali culture, knowledge is passed down orally – through songs, stories, recipes, and more. But the Somali Civil War that began in 1991 brought 30 years of mass emigration forcing people like Ifrah Ahmed and her family to abandon their communities thereby disrupting this oral tradition. In Soomaaliya: A Cookbook, Ahmed reclaims the story of her country through its history, food, and people. From Somalia’s role in the spice trade to the relics of Italian colonial rule, here is a celebration of the richness of Somali food and the resilience of its people.

This event is presented in partnership with Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice (SDARJ).

About the Author
Ifrah F. Ahmed is a Somali-born writer, chef, recipe developer, and artist whose work centers on food, history, memory, and migration. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times, sharing recipes and stories. Ahmed arrived as a refugee in Seattle from Mogadishu in 1996, and lives with her family in New York today.

Purchase the book
Please help support local independent bookstores by purchasing this book at Browseabout Books, official bookseller of the History Book Festival. Online sources and digital versions are tempting; however, supporting local brick and mortar shops helps to preserve our vibrant main streets. Drop by Browseabout, order books online, or call the store at 302-226-2665. You also may purchase a copy at biblion in Lewes.

About the Festival
The History Book Festival is the first and only book festival in the United States devoted exclusively to history. With the help of our presenting funding partner —  The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices | PenFed Realty — as well as our program and community partners, volunteers, and donors, the 2026 History Book Festival will be full of great discussions with authors of newly published narrative nonfiction and historical fiction. 

Thanks to all our donors, especially our education and outreach funding partners: Carolyn & Aaron Nayer, Jen Mason & Clare Hancock, the Red Wagon Foundation, and Browseabout Books. HBF authors visit classrooms in Delaware, and HBF provides their books to schools, libraries, and community organizations.

Our Keynote event is presented by Griswold Home Care for Sussex & Kent Counties and Groome Church; our Closing event is presented by the Delaware Community Foundation. The Spirited Discussion, our gathering for attendees and presenters to celebrate and discuss their day, is presented by Dogfish Head Beer & Benevolence.

Special thanks to our Program Partners for their continuing support: the Lewes Public Library for event promotion and production; Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, official bookseller of the History Book Festival; and Historic Lewes for event promotion and author hospitality. Thanks also to the Lewes Chamber of Commerce for event promotion, and the Cape Gazette and Delmarva Public Media, our media partners.