The André Simon Award is one of the most prestigious awards for food and wine writing and it nearly always flags up some really fascinating, well written books out of the mainstream. The 2012 shortlist has just been published and so if you are looking for a book for the food and wine lover in your life, look no further. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 14 March.
ANNIE BELL’S BAKING BIBLE by Annie Bell
Published by Kyle Books
EDIBLE SELBY
by Todd Selby
Published by Abrams
FOLLOWING FISH
by Samanth Subramanian
Published by Atlantic books
HOOSH
by Jason C Anthony
Published by University of Nebraska Press
JERUSALEM
by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Published by Ebury Books
POLPO
by Russell Norman
Published by Bloomsbury Books
SUD DE FRANCE
by Caroline Conran
Published by Prospect Books
THE FOOD OF MOROCCO
by Paula Wolfert
Published by Bloomsbury Books
The shortlisted books in the drink category are:
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO by Kerin O’Keefe Published by University of California Press
HOW TO LOVE WINE
by Eric Asimov
Published by William Morrow
POMEROL
by Neal Martin
Published by Wine-Journal Publishing
SHERRY, MANZANILLA & MONTILLA
by Peter Liem & Jesús Barquín
Published by Manutius
WINE GRAPES
by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, Dr José Vouillamoz
Published by Penguin Books
And in case you were wondering, André Simon (1877-1970) was a champagne shipper and a frenchman who lived in England for most of his life. At 55 after a career in the wine trade, he launched himself on a new career as a journalist, author and teacher. In 1932 he founded the Wine & Food Society and in 1965 established the André Simon Award for gastronomic literature. He is reputed to have said ‘a man dies too young if he leaves any wine in his cellar’. When Simon died in 1970 he left just two magnums of claret.