The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat (HarperCollins, 2021)

Please join us on Thursday, September 9, at 5 p.m. Eastern, for a 2021 History Book Festival virtual event with Matt Siegel, author of The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat (HarperCollins, 2021). This event is free but registration is required. Nancy Staisey will be in conversation with Siegel during the event. This event is free but registration is required.

This presentation is co-sponsored by the Historic Lewes Farmers Market.

About the book
These days, what and where we eat says as much about us as the clothes we wear or the places we live, and social media has allowed us to share our private food experiences as never before. But this fixation is not new. “As a species, we’re hardwired to obsess over food,” says author Matt Siegel. In this entertaining exploration of the historical, cultural, scientific, sexual, and culinary subcultures of this most essential part of life, Siegel sets out to uncover “the hidden side of everything we put in our mouths.” 

About the author
Matt Siegel has written about food and culture for The Atlantic, The Paris Review, and other publications. Previously an English professor, he now writes full-time and consults with brands in the food and beverage industries.

Nancy Staisey will be in conversation with Siegel during the event. Staisey serves on the Executive Committee of the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy and is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Historic Lewes Farmers Market. She loves exploring the intersection of science and food and experimenting with fermenting, preserving, and baking.

How to attend the online event
All registered attendees will receive a follow-up email from “LibCal” with Zoom log-in information. If you don’t receive this email after registering, please check your SPAM folder. If you still can’t locate the email, please contact info@historybookfestival.org.

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. Each copy purchased comes with a signed archival bookplate.

About the Festival
With the help of our presenting sponsors—Delaware Humanities and The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices I Gallo Realty—as well as our community partners and volunteers, the 2021 History Book Festival will, once again, be full of great discussions online with authors of newly published narrative nonfiction and historical fiction.

Our 2021 Festival will follow last year’s format: allowing you to bring history home—and stay safe! We are extremely grateful for the virtual venue and assistance in event promotion provided by the Lewes Public Library, in conjunction with the Delaware Division of Libraries and Sussex County Libraries.