News & Events

Here’s the cover of my new book The Food Of Love Cookery School. It’s set over eight delicious summer days in Sicily and is about four women who go on a culinary adventure and get a little more than they bargained for. It’s not released until August in the UK and September in Australia/New Zealand but I couldn’t resist giving you a taster!

Looking for something fun to do on Mother’s Day? If you live in Marlborough, New Zealand come to Paperplus Tarts For Tea at the Convention Centre. Me, writer and broadcaster Kerre McIvor, foodie Lauraine Jacobs and nutritionist Claire Turnbull will be there for laughs, bubbles and baked goods. Should be a great afternoon.

If you live in Auckland don’t miss this year’s Writers & Readers Festival at the Aotea Centre, May 15 – 19. I’ll be chairing a free event, a panel discussion called Fifty Shades Of WTF. Along with novelists Eleanor Catton and Shehan Karunatilaka, and journalist Sarah Stuart we’ll be looking at what lies behind the publishing sensation of 2012. Should be an interesting and lively discussion. For more on the festival click here.

March is NZ Book Month and like lots of other authors I’ll be out and about at events and talks. If you want to find out what’s happening in your area click here. I’ll be doing three Auckland talks: Waiheke Island Library the evening of March 20, New Lynn Library on March 22 and Glenfield Library on March 26 so please come along if you can and listen to me speak about how I got started, how I get inspired and other writerly stuff.

I’ve been very quiet on this website lately as all my time and energy has been focused on finishing my new book The Food Of Love Cookery School. Set in Sicily, it’s the story of four women who meet on a food holiday and is inspired by a trip I took last year. My aim is that you’ll read it and feel like you’re on holiday with the characters – and that you’ll discover Sicilian food which is wonderful and different to the cooking in other regions of Italy. Anyway it’s due to be released later this year so I’d better get on with it….

This week I’m taking a break from writing my new book and heading to the Middle East to take part in the Sharjah International Book Fair. On Friday November 9 I’ll be on stage with several other authors discussing Life, Love and Second Chances. So if you happen to be in Dubai or Sharjah…..

A fantastic review of When In Rome written by author Wendy Holden just appeared in the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper. Here’s what she had to say:

I loved this book so much I could hardly wait to get to the computer to type its praises. And as I have a broken arm at the moment, you can take that as the most ringing of endorsements.

The poverty-stricken life of Serafina is transformed after she lands a job as PA to Betty Lanza, wife of Fifties Italian singing sensation Mario.

I don’t know about you, but there’s absolutely nothing I like better than what I call ‘governess’ novels – about self-effacing  servants of the famous, wealthy and capricious. This book has inside-track glamour in spades, and all the colour of La Dolce Vita-period Rome.

But there’s an irresistible layer of melancholy, too, as Serafina struggles to relate to the family she has left behind, and witnesses at first-hand the decline of the once all-conquering Lanzas. An original subject and beautifully handled. Brava, Nicky.