2024 Festival:
October 21–27
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Incite: Deb Perelman in Conversation

Presented in partnership with Vancouver Public Library. 

Get inspired in the kitchen with Deb Perelman, a self-taught home cook and the force behind SmittenKitchen.com. An international sensation among home cooks, Perelman has authored three New York Times bestselling cookbooks, most recently Smitten Kitchen Keepers, and has amassed over 2.7 million followers worldwide for her comforting, accessible recipes. For our very first Incite of the season, Perelman will share ‘seasoned’ insights from the kitchen and her career. We know you’ll be smitten. In conversation with Bronwen Tate.

Copies of Deb Perelman’s books will be available for sale before and after the event courtesy of Blackbond Books | Book Warehouse.

Join us for Incite all season, in-person or online! This readings series offers conversations with celebrated authors and emerging talents every two weeks from January to June. Incite is free and open to all

Participants and Speakers

Deb Perelman

Deb Perelman is a food writer and the home cook, photographer, and publisher behind the wildly popular Smitten Kitchen food blog. Winner of Saveur’s Best Cooking Blog of 2011 award, Smitten Kitchen has amassed a huge following due to Perelman’s ability to translate ambitious, sophisticated flavors into easy-to-follow recipes. The long-awaited New York Times bestseller The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (2012) compiles favorite and innovative recipes, Perelman’s own beautiful photography, and is peppered with her distinctive “no-fuss” cooking philosophy.

Working out of her apartment’s 42-square-foot kitchen, Perelman draws on a unique sense of humor and personal anecdotes to connect with her audience. Her approachable style and infectious enthusiasm make her a great fit for special events, luncheons or dinners, women’s organizations, or anywhere food lovers congregate. Most recently, Perelman published Smitten Kitchen Every Day, which brings passionate home cooks new recipes designed to elevate their meals with her signature flavorful and approachable flair.

A graduate of George Washington University, Perelman cemented her love for food with odd jobs at bakeries, coffee shops, and ice cream stores before she began blogging. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Parenting, and NPR, and she lives in New York City with her husband and son.

Bronwen Tate

Bronwen Tate teaches poetry in School of Creative Writing at UBC, where she is also Undergraduate Chair. A passionate amateur cook and baker, Bronwen’s cookbook collection rivals her poetry collection, and she’s been known to show up to class with matcha latte cookies or homemade pear jam. Ross Gay described her poetry collection The Silk the Moths Ignore as poems that “somehow illuminate the deepest interior while leaving dirt under your fingernails.” Her Substack Ok, But How? features nitty-gritty process-nerd notes on writing, reading, and teaching (and slips in the occasional recipe).