GRACE returns to ITV for a fifth series

We are delighted to announce that ITV has recommissioned the popular Brighton-based detective drama GRACE. Based on the internationally bestselling Detective Superintendent Roy Grace books by Peter James, the TV adaptation is now confirmed for a fifth series.

John Simm returns as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace for another four feature length films (4 x 120 minutes) which will air on ITV1 and ITVX. Also reprising their roles for series five are Richie Campbell (Top Boy, Stephen) who plays DS Glenn Branson, Zoë Tapper (Liar) as Cleo Morey, Laura Elphinstone (Chernobyl) as DS Bella Moy, Brad Morrison (Outlander) as DC Nick Nicholl and Sam Hoare (The Castaways) as ACC Cassian Pewe.

Series five will be based on four books from the Peter James series: DEAD IF YOU DON’T, DEAD AT FIRST SIGHT, NEED YOU DEAD and FIND THEM DEAD.

The opening episode of GRACE, based on the first Roy Grace novel, DEAD SIMPLE, was broadcast in March 2021 with John Simm starring in the lead role as the tenacious detective. It was a TV Pick of the Day across all the major UK newspapers, appeared on ITV 1’s prime Sunday night slot and viewing figures quickly reached more than 8.8 million, with glowing reviews.

The second series was broadcast in 2022, starting with LOOKING GOOD DEAD, which like the subsequent episode NOT DEAD ENOUGH, topped the chart as most-watched UK TV show of the night. DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS and DEAD TOMORROW followed. The popular streamer Britbox brought the GRACE series to US and Canadian viewers in 2021, followed by further world territories. The third series, DEAD LIKE YOU, DEAD MAN’S GRIP and NOT DEAD YET, began airing in March 2023, with the fourth series date due to be announced soon.

The series has been commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill, and Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones. Huw will oversee production from ITV’s perspective.

Huw said: ‘We’re thrilled to be returning to Brighton and the world of Roy Grace and the team for another series of Peter James’ brilliant stories. Series five promises to deliver four more episodes full of surprises and intrigue that the ITV and ITVX audiences have come to love.’

GRACE is a co-production between Tall Story Pictures, part of ITV Studios, and Vaudeville Productions. Executive producers are Phil Hunter for Tall Story Pictures, and Andrew O'Connor and Paul Sandler for Vaudeville Productions, Kiaran Murray-Smith and Peter James. 

Executive Producer Phil Hunter said: ‘It’s fantastic that GRACE is back for a fifth series and we get to adapt another four of Peter's brilliant books for ITV. I can't wait to see the cast and crew assembled for what will be my first series. It's wonderful to be working with such a talented group of people who put their all into making a show they love.’

Author Peter James said: ‘When the first episode of GRACE aired in 2021, it was a dream come true. It is both heartening and astounding to me that we're already at series five! The continued success of GRACE is a testament to the outstanding cast headed by John Simm, and crew and, equally importantly, the fans, who have loved and devoted their time to these characters both on the page and now the screen. It is also a testament to just how faithfully ITV have adhered to both the characters and stories in the novels.’

The films will be written by Jess Williams, Guy Burt, Caroline Carver and Ed Whitmore. Kiaran Murray-Smith returns as Series Producer, Matthew Hamilton will co-produce the series. Production begins in Brighton this Spring. International distribution is handled by ITV Studios. Grace is a BritBox Original, available exclusively on BritBox in North America and Australia.

The paperback edition of the 19th book in the Grace series, STOP THEM DEAD, will be published by Pan Macmillan on 25 April 2024. Peter’s next book, THEY THOUGHT I WAS DEAD, reveals the truth behind the dramatic disappearance of Roy Grace’s first wife, Sandy. It will thrill readers of the Grace series and new fans alike with its gripping story of a woman on the run; Pan Macmillan will publish on 9th May 2024.  Peter is also currently writing the 20th Roy Grace title.

About Peter James
Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels, repeatedly occupying the Number One slot on the Sunday Times bestseller charts in both hardback and paperback. Peter writes both thriller standalones and the hugely popular Brighton-set Roy Grace series, now adapted for ITV by screenwriter and ENDEAVOUR creator, Russell Lewis.

Peter’s books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, with worldwide sales of over twenty-one million copies and his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has given him 19 consecutive Sunday Times Number Ones. In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award and in 2024 he won four Silver Nielsen Bestseller Awards. Peter James has also written two books based on true crime stories, with former senior detective Graham Bartlett.

Successful nationwide tours of the stage plays of THE PERFECT MURDER (2014), DEAD SIMPLE (2015,) NOT DEAD ENOUGH (2017), THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL (2019), LOOKING GOOD DEAD (2021) and WISH YOU WERE DEAD (2023) have packed theatres in dozens of British cities, and garnered magnificent reviews. His stage shows to date have grossed over £17 million at the box office. Several of his works are optioned for film.

Peter took part in the launch podcast of the Queen’s Reading Room in January 2024, having had the Grace series featured on the Royal Reading Room previously.

Praise for GRACE
‘For fans still coming to terms with the end of Endeavour, the third series of Grace has arrived just in time to fill the Brit detective void… a world-weary detective; a younger sidekick; and plenty of knotty cases to be solved.’ – Poppie Platt, The Sunday Telegraph

‘Simm plays the lead with elegant understatement’ – Mail On Sunday

‘John Simm is very good as gentle DS Roy Grace’ – Carol Midgley, The Times

‘John Simm is perfectly cast as our morose hero.’ – The Sunday Times

‘Darkly compelling’ – Tim Oglethorpe, The Daily Mail

‘A stirring return’ – TV Times, 5-star review

‘A very effective appetite-whetter… The unpretentious storytelling makes this an easy watch, helmed by the always watchable Simm.’ – The Mail on Sunday, Pick of the Day

‘It’s a good’un... John Simm was pleasingly understated as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and the adaptation was well done by Russell Lewis, creator of ENDEAVOUR. Richie Campbell was great as Roy’s colleague, DS Branson, bringing just the right amount of energy to proceedings... If ITV can find room in the schedules, another Grace instalment would go down nicely.’ – Anita Singh, The Telegraph

‘Roy Grace doesn’t have any obvious gimmick to mark him out, but he swiftly establishes himself as a solid addition to the Sunday-night pack… Chilling.’ – James Jackson, The Times, Critic’s Choice

‘Grace and Branson’s race to find Michael made for truly nail-biting TV and there were great performances, with Simm as watchable as ever as the shrewd, yet vulnerable Grace… With more to come later this year… I’ll certainly be tuning in.’ – Gwendolyn Smith, The i

‘There is a reason why Peter James’s novels have sold all over the world, and one of the main ones is that… Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a well-written and believable character… Simm makes for a likeable lead and the atmospheric Brighton setting is well used.’ – Sarah Hughes, The Sunday Telegraph, The Very Best of the Week Ahead

‘Simm gives [Roy Grace] a winning sense of humour beneath all the grit… Campbell is smooth foil, playing Branson quietly enough that Simm doesn’t have to be enormous to stand out. Brighton’s mix of pretty shoreline, faded glamour, criminal past and contemporary hipsterism makes it a ripe spot for some murder. The action feels rooted in its setting…It’s almost inconceivable Simm hasn’t already been in a long running franchise… and I expect the wait’s over.’ – Ed Cumming, The Independent

‘Few people do moody, angst-ridden men better than John Simm, who takes on the role of Grace. With so many books in hand, this series could run and run.’ — The best television shows in the UK this April, Prospect Magazine

SNAKE – adapted by Tracey Farren from her own novel – to close the Joburg Film Festival 2024

We are delighted to announce that SNAKE – the film adaptation of Tracey Farren’s haunting and riveting novel, published by Modjaji Books in South Africa – has been selected as the closing film for the 2024 Joburg Film Festival. The film will make its bow on Sunday, 3 March 2024 at the Theatre on the Square, in Mandela Square Johannesburg. Tickets for the premiere are available now.

A talented screenwriter as well as novelist, Tracey previously adapted her novel WHIPLASH for the 2016 film and wrote the screenplay for SNAKE herself in collaboration with director Meg Rickards. The film was a co-production between Known Associates Entertainment and Boondogle Films.

Now in its sixth year, the Joburg Film Festival (JFF) is one of Africa’s premier film festivals, curating and showcasing both African and International films whilst providing youth, aspirant and established filmmakers, and industry professionals with various opportunities for development, training, skills transfer and networking. Coinciding with the celebration of 30 years of democracy in South Africa, the 2024 festival will be staged under the theme of INSPIRING STORYTELLERS – a banner under which SNAKE is fittingly launched.

When Jerry, an alluring stranger, arrives on the farm where Stella lives, her father stays sober and her mother begins to laugh again – but the man with the silver cross has not come to save them. As Jerry slithers his way into their hearts, his own dark wounds begin to show. Stella must choose: shut up and watch him strangle her family – or use the truth to fight for their lives.

Credit: Karin Schermbrucker

About Tracey Farren

Tracey Farren lives in False Bay with her partner, some dogs and children of a range of ages. She has a psychology honours degree from UCT. She started out as a freelance journalist, publishing on a range of social issues before turning to fiction. In 2008, she published her first novel, WHIPLASH (Modjaji Books). She won a White Ribbon award from Women Demand Dignity and WHIPLASH was short listed for the Sunday Times Fiction Award. Modjaji Books also published SNAKE in 2011 and Kwela Books and Titan Books published THE BOOK OF MALACHI in 2020.

Tracey adapted WHIPLASH into a film, TESS, which was produced by Boondoggle Films and released in 2016. TESS won multiple major awards at the Durban International Film Festival including Best South African Feature Film, Best Actress, and Best Editing. The film was also drew awards for Best Actress, Best Editing and Best Cinematography at the Silwerskermfees, the Silver Screen Festival for films with Afrikaans content.

Praise for the novel SNAKE

‘Many crime writers could learn from her … an extremely original literary crime novel.’ — Sarah Lotz, author of THE THREE

‘Tracey Farren has shown in her first novel WHIPLASH that she has a true gift for getting into the hearts of very ordinary people while astutely setting the South African socio-political context. In SNAKE she does it again, even better... An absolutely riveting read.’ — Jane Rosenthal, Mail & Guardian

‘The book is a kaleidoscope of the weird and wonderful...’ — Beth Shirley, The Sunday Independent

Follow Tracey Farren on X (formerly Twitter)

MY FATHER’S HOUSE longlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction

We are thrilled to announce that MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor has been longlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. This is the second time Joseph O’Connor’s work has been recognised by the prize – with his acclaimed novel SHADOWPLAY making the shortlist in 2020.

The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction is a prestigious literary prize celebrating quality, innovation and ambition of writing, provided the majority of the novel’s storyline is set at least sixty years ago. Previous winners include WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel and THE LONG SONG by Andrea Levy.

The other longlisted titles for this year’s prize are: THE NEW LIFE by Tom Crewe, A BETTER PLACE by Stephen Daisley, THE HOUSE OF DOORS by Tan Twan Eng, HUNGRY GHOSTS by Kevin Jared Hosein, FOR THY GREAT PAIN, HAVE MERCY ON MY LITTLE PAIN by Victoria MacKenzie, MUSIC IN THE DARK by Sally Magnusson, CUDDY by  Benjamin Myers, THE FRAUD by Zadie Smith, MISTER TIMELESS BLYTH by Alan Spence, IN THE UPPER COUNTRY by Kai Thomas, and ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER by Rose Tremain.

Katie Grant, the chair of the judging panel,  said: ‘From the epic to the intimate, from the philosophical to the swashbuckling, from the traditional to the experimental, in each book emotions run deep. If you read the whole list, just like the panel of judges, you’ll never be short of conversation.’ 

From February 2024, the prize is being managed by The Abbotsford Trust, which is responsible for Sir Walter Scott’s Borders home. With the support of The Hawthornden Foundation, and the ongoing patronage of prize founder and Abbotsford patron, the Duke of Buccleuch, the existing Walter Scott Prize team and judges will continue their work.

The shortlist will be announced in May, and the winner announcement and prize-giving event will take at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, in June.

Based on the true story of Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish priest in the Vatican who helped escaped prisoners evade capture in Nazi-occupied Rome, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a powerful literary thriller from a master of historical fiction. Joseph O’Connor has created an unforgettable novel of love, faith and sacrifice, and what it means to be truly human in extreme circumstances.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE was first published to great acclaim in the UK and Ireland by Harvill Secker in January 2023 and in the US by Europa Editions in April 2023. Translation rights have been sold in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden, and film rights are under option.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE has been a stellar success, flying straight to No.1 in Ireland upon publication, occupying the spot for four weeks and selling over 100,000 copies in the English language overall. A Waterstones’ Irish ‘Book of the Month’ for February 2024, it is longlisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award and last year was shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year Award at the 2023 An Post Irish Book Awards (with Joseph shortlisted for the Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year Award at the same event). Last week MY FATHER’S HOUSE was picked by Peter Kemp as a Sunday Times ‘Paperback of the Week’. 

MY FATHER’S HOUSE has been very well received in its many translation markets – most recently in France where Payot & Rivages are already onto their second reprint and publications like Les chroniques de Goliath are describing it as ‘dazzling… A fiction that dives its roots so deeply into historical truth that it becomes entirely credible.’ You can see more of the international praise below and on Joseph O’Connor’s website.

The Irish ambassadors to Italy and the Vatican have jointly organised a celebratory event at the Irish Embassy in Rome in this month which marks both the release of Harvill Secker’s paperback edition of MY FATHER’S HOUSE and Guanda’s Italian edition of LA CASA DI MIO PADRE.

Joseph is currently completing THE GHOSTS OF ROME, the second novel in the Escape Line trilogy (of which MY FATHER’S HOUSE is the first), which is due to be published by Harvill Secker in the UK and Europa in the UK in 2025.

Photo credit: Urszula Soltys

About Joseph O’Connor

Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin, where he still lives. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is his tenth novel: he is also the author of film scripts, radio and stage plays, two collections of short stories, and several bestselling works of non-fiction.

2022 was the 20th anniversary of Joseph O’Connor’s novel STAR OF THE SEA which was an international bestseller, selling more than a million copies in the UK alone and being published in 38 languages. It won France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, the Irish Post Award for Fiction, the Nielsen Bookscan Golden Book Award, an American Library Association Award, the Hennessy/Sunday Tribune Hall of Fame Award, and the Prix Litteraire Zepter for European Novel of the Year.

He holds an honorary Doctorate in Literature from University College Dublin and received the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish Literature in 2012. He is the Inaugural Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.

Praise for MY FATHER’S HOUSE

‘A gripping, compelling and utterly brilliant read.’ – Liz Nugent

‘I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a beautifully produced advance copy of Joseph's new novel. What a joy and privilege to be an early reader of a work of art from a towering figure in world literature. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a masterwork. No writer in the world can tell a story the way Joseph O’Connor does. He can, without seeming effort, be all things to all readers, taking us by the hand and guiding us into the very heart of a story, his narrative techniques deployed with such unearthly skill that we’re hardly aware that this was written at all, it feels so real, so urgent, so incredibly alive. This novel is a searing and beautiful example of storytelling’s infinite importance, to our humanness, to our chances of learning from our most terrible and our most transcendent moments, and all our moments in between, to hold all life sacred, to see each other as brothers and sisters, to love and protect each other. No wonder he is so cherished and loved by his countless devotees across the earth. He is a national and international treasure, the most generous and noble of writers, a true master of the art.’ – Donal Ryan

‘A spectacular, thrilling novel… offering much more than tensely plotted thrills… MY FATHER’S HOUSE celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie. It would require a present-day Puccini to do operatic justice to its tremendous tale.’ – Peter Kemp, The Sunday Times

‘This formidable talent for writing across genres is reflected in his masterly 10th novel, which should reap similar plaudits… This is a literary thriller of the highest order. The incarnation of O’Flaherty, the Irish Oskar Schindler, is sublime. What often elevates a writer is compassion, and O’Connor has it in spades – paying tribute to the courage of those who resist tyranny. Beautifully crafted, his razor-sharp dialogue is to be savoured, and he employs dark humour to great effect. The plot twists keep on coming until the novel’s coda, where a final joyful conceit is revealed.’ – Lucy Popescu, The Observer

‘Joseph O’Connor’s historical novel MY FATHER’S HOUSE manages to be at once a ripping yarn and a profound exploration of moral choices in the worst of times… With lyrical evocation of time and place, scabrous humour and heart-stopping tension, it combines the pleasures of the ideal holiday read with those of a literary masterpiece.’ – Fintan O’Toole, The Irish Times, ‘The Best Books of 2023 so far’

‘This historical thriller is a captivating page-turner.’ – ActuaLitté

‘With his new fiction, Joseph O’Connor once again reinvents the historical genre, intertwining it with elements of suspense typical of noir fiction.’ – Livres Hebdo

‘This book is a real page-turner, where compassion prevails over hatred.’ – L’Arche

‘The interwoven narrative of the protagonists’ testimonies lends a powerful momentum to this page-turner.’ – Benzine

‘In this beautifully written novel, Joseph O’Connor raises the painful question of neutrality. While the Pontiff clings to it like a mussel to its rock, the Irish priest rejects it. He didn’t don the habit to indulge in contemplation. He made a vow of obedience, but his conscience whispers disobedience to him. Do we ever truly know who we are? Only danger reveals it to us. For Hugh O’Flaherty and his choir, doubt is not allowed. Coming from all walks of life, destined never to meet in times of peace, these amateur singers have found each other to form only one audacious soul. Noble heroes on the altar of sacrifice, on the altar of humanity.’ – La Vie en Noir

Visit Joseph’s website

THE LAST PASSENGER by Will Dean selected for the Spring W H Smith Book Club with Richard and Judy

THE LAST PASSENGER by Will Dean is one of six titles selected for the ever popular Spring W H Smith Book Club with Richard and Judy.

The titles selected for the Book Club include bonus content exclusive to W H Smith and are available both in W H Smith stores across the UK and online. There is also a podcast series to accompany the selection hosted by Richard and Judy themselves, which features interviews with the Book Club authors and more.

The other Spring titles are: OVER SHARING by Jane Fallon, WEYWARD by Emilia Hart, BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN by Jessica Knoll, NO ONE SAW A THING by Andrea Mara, and THE TRIAL by Rob Rinder.

THE LAST PASSENGER is Will’s third standalone novel and was published in the UK in May 2023, while Emily Bestler Books (Simon & Schuster) published in the US. It was a Financial Times ‘Best Summer Books of 2023’ pick and received glowing reviews from readers and critics alike.

The W H Smith Book Club with Richard and Judy describes the novel as: ‘A tale not so much of the unexpected, but the impossible. Picture this. You’re on a giant ocean-going liner (much bigger than the Titanic) steaming from Southampton to New York. The voyage has only just begun; you and over a thousand fellow passengers are enjoying their first evening meal on board. Everyone drifts off to bed and the great ship settles for the night. You wake next morning to find everyone – everyone; passengers AND crew – have vanished. It’s just you. And the great ship steams on… utterly engrossing, from the first page to the last.’

Richard Madeley on THE LAST PASSENGER: ‘In many ways THE LAST PASSENGER is a classic “locked room” mystery; a sort of literary conjuring trick where the impossible seems to have happened. There is simply no way you will guess the answer to the central conundrum until you get to the end. No way. Unless you cheat! And what a riddle!’

Judy Finnigan on THE LAST PASSENGER: ‘Just what the HELL has happened? You’ll get a huge kick finding out.’

Lucy Swinburn, W H Smith’s group trading director for books, commented: ‘We love teaming up with Richard and Judy as they carefully select each new collection for the book club, which has been a platform for so many bestsellers and debut novels. We’re delighted with the books that have been chosen by them for spring, with every author new to the W H Smith Book Club, and we’re excited to share this fantastic selection of recommended reads with our customers.’

Will is currently working on his fourth standalone novel, THE CHAMBER, a tense and suspenseful locked-room thriller – this time set in a hyperbaric chamber. Hodder will be publish in the UK in June 2024, with Emily Bestler Book set to publish in the US in August 2024.  

About Will Dean

Photo credit: Rosalind Hobley

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying law at the LSE, and working many varied jobs in London, he settled in rural Sweden with his wife. He built a wooden house in a boggy forest clearing and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes.

Will’s first standalone novel, THE LAST THING TO BURN, was a word-of-mouth sensation reviewed positively by readers and media alike. It was shortlisted for Thriller Book of the Year at the Fingerprint Awards 2022, Crime Novel of the Year at the Theakston Old Peculier Awards 2022 and the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2022 and was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award 2022.

Praise for THE LAST PASSENGER

‘A new high-water mark in high-concept thrillers… astonishing.’ – Ian Rankin

‘Lord SAVE us! What a ROLLERCOASTER of a read THE LAST PASSENGER by Will Dean is! The twists! The turns! The hairpin bends! It’s utterly compulsive reading.’ – Marian Keyes

‘THE LAST PASSENGER is exceptional. Great premise, vivid characters, and truly, deeply, unbelievably tense.’ – Emma Flint

‘Will Dean’s THE LAST THING TO BURN is one of the most terrifying thrillers I’ve read in years, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on his latest, THE LAST PASSENGER. The premise is excellent… Supernatural explanations aside, this seems an impossible trick for a writer to pull off satisfactorily, but Dean, who also writes the excellent Tuva Moodyson crime series, makes it work. I won’t tell you how, because it would spoil this mile-a-minute, bite-your-nails-to-the-quick ride of a novel, but I will tell you to trust this writer, because I guarantee you’ll enjoy where he takes you. Extra kudos for the final twist, which brought me great pleasure.’ – Alison Flood, The Observer, ‘Thrillers of the month’

‘If you think the notion of the “high concept” thriller has been fully exsanguinated, think again. In Dean’s new novel, a luxury liner adrift without a crew in the mid-Atlantic has one passenger, Caz Ripley, left on board, dealing with a Mary Celeste-like mystery. Irresistibly compelling fare.’ – The Financial Times, ‘Best Summer Books of 2023: Crime’

‘The narration is breathless and brisk, with a tiny suspenseful hook to keep you guessing, and reading on, at the end of each chapter. A number of strange and troubling things will go wrong for these unfortunate people before they’re hit by a giant plot twist. Get your bowl of popcorn.’ – The New York Times

‘This thriller is perfect if you’re addicted to cruising – or indeed if you can’t imagine anything worse… Will Dean’s ingenious plot developments will keep you, like Caz, guessing wildly, and Jenny Funnell’s narration keeps belief suspended until the very end – and indeed beyond it.’ – Christina Hardyment, The Times, ‘The best audiobooks for summer 2023’

Follow Will on X (previously Twitter) and Instagram

Watch Will on YouTube

Meliz Berg serves up a second helping with DINNER TONIGHT from Ebury Press

We are delighted to announce that DINNER TONIGHT, the second cookbook from cook, food writer and bestselling author Meliz Berg, has been snapped by Ebury Press, to be published in hardback and ebook on 27 June 2024. Publishing Director Laura Higginson bought world all language rights from Juliet Pickering; an American edition will be published by Interlink Books on 11 June 2024.

DINNER TONIGHT is a celebration of flavour and the simple joy of cooking. Whilst Meliz adores the process that goes into creating the traditional Turkish-Cypriot recipes that she grew up with, our busy lifestyles often mean that we need meals that require minimal prep and cooking time. In answer to this, Meliz has created easier, shortcut versions of some of her most beloved family recipes – including traditional dishes such as börek, dolma and manti – without ever compromising on the authentic flavour of the recipes in question. 

Meliz’s hit blog and Instagram page, Meliz Cooks, is loved for its easy-to-follow recipes, addictive combinations of flavours and spices, and for highlighting the melting-pot of beautiful cuisines evident in Cyprus. Meliz has over 730k loyal followers across social media and her first book, MELIZ’S KITCHEN, was an instant No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller.

‘I am so proud of DINNER TONIGHT and I genuinely feel like anyone can cook from this book, any day and every day of the week,’ said Meliz. ‘The recipes are all a celebration of flavour and the simple joy of cooking. The variety of recipes is vast, and I’ve also created easier, shortcut versions of some of my most beloved family recipes, giving them a little twist without ever compromising on the authentic flavours and ingredients true to me and my Turkish-Cypriot heritage.’

On behalf of Ebury Press, Laura Higginson said: ‘Meliz is such an exciting voice, we’re delighted she is following up her Sunday Times Bestselling first cookbook MELIZ’S KITCHEN with DINNER TONIGHT. We were proud to publish MELIZ’S KITCHEN, which was Meliz’s love letter to her traditional family recipes passed down through her family. The response from homecooks around the UK seeing recipes so familiar and personal to them in that cookbook was amazing. In DINNER TONIGHT Meliz has so cleverly preserved all the flavour and nostalgia while doubling down on ease and solution cooking – molasses, halloumi, sumac, lemon, mint… all that deliciousness in 30-minutes, in one tray, in one pot slow-cooking away. An essential every-day cookbook.’

Juliet Pickering added: ‘I’m delighted to be working with Meliz and Ebury on another game-changing cookbook full of the delicious food that Meliz is celebrated for. Since MELIZ’S KITCHEN, Meliz has further built an incredibly popular platform and is a regular on This Morning, and we’re so pleased to bring another book to tired cooks (like me!) who relish the opportunity to eat something a bit different but also want dinner on the table ASAP. Meliz is a genius with flavour, and it’s a win every time!’

About Meliz Berg

Meliz Berg is a home cook, recipe developer and food writer. Due to her Turkish Cypriot heritage, Meliz grew up in a household where her parents combined both traditional Cypriot and multi-cultural London living. Her mother’s influence has been fundamental in her cooking, and Meliz is very passionate about developing the family recipes of her childhood which for years had only been passed down through oral tradition.

Meliz studied Music at Masters Level, taught it at secondary school for eight years, then started a recipe blog after the birth of her first child, documenting the traditional Cypriot dishes that she was introducing to him. After taking a break from teaching, Meliz decided to pursue her passion for food and the blog progressed into a very successful Meliz Cooks Instagram page, where her recipes are cooked and shared by her followers from all over the world. Meliz has gained a supportive following due to her easy-to-follow recipes, addictive combinations of flavours and spices, sympathetically highlighting the melting-pot of beautiful cuisines from across the Mediterranean, Balkans and Middle East evident in Cyprus, and her dazzling, colourful displays of food. Her recipes have featured in Co-Op Food and Asda Good Living Magazine, as well as for Good Homes and the Guardian, and she regularly works as a recipe developer and campaigner for Sainsburys. She has also appeared on This Morning to share her recipes.

MELIZ’S KITCHEN was published in June 2022 and became a Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller.

Praise for DINNER TONIGHT

‘Lots of people write very good recipe books, but I'm not sure there's anyone else who makes me want to actually cook and eat their food quite as much as Meliz. She has a gift of creating accessible and ludicrously delicious recipes influenced by her Turkish Cypriot heritage (and this glorious yet little known cuisine) that are instant household hits. I just want to eat her food all of the time. This would be my desert island cookbook.’ – Leyla Kazım

Praise for MELIZ’S KITCHEN

One of ‘The Food Programme’s Books of 2022’

‘Having built up a loyal online following, Berg has now set her Turkish-Cypriot recipes to paper. Encompassing everything from sharing plates and salads to syrup-drizzled pastries, the selection includes classics such as stuffed vine leaves, slow-roasted lamb shoulder and Cypriot-style pasta bake.’ – National Geographic, ‘Five of the best new cookbooks for summer 2022’

‘Having never really explored Turkish-Cypriot food before, Berg has inspired me as she makes it look so easy…With MELIZ’S KITCHEN, Berg has created an experience that is exciting and feels deeply personal, and it will help many cooks broaden their food outlook and try something new.’ – Pip Ellwood-Hughes, Entertainment Focus

‘MELIZ’S KITCHEN is a celebration of Turkish-Cypriot cuisine and the vibrant flavours that influence it. Whether you’re a fan of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean food or you’re on the hunt for family-friendly midweek meals and lavish comfort dishes, this refreshing debut is for you.’ –Jessica Lockyer-Palmer, Happy Foodie

Visit Meliz’s website

 Follow Meliz on Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter