Handmade – London Launch

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

It’s the middle of Nov and we are just a week out from our London Handmade launch and we’re all a bit jittery and it’s not because winter is coming! Our small but effective team of volunteers has been working hard to get the word out about Handmade to our family, friends and colleagues. Will they come on the Handmade journey…? Will they connect with the strong women in the book..? And will they share it all with THEIR loved ones…? We hope so!

Handmade has a special place in my heart because I was lucky enough to be there when it all started back in Feb 2014. I still remember Abarna (Palmera’s Founder) sitting with me before my volunteer trip to Sri Lanka, describing her vision of sharing the stories of the war affected women in Sri Lanka through an everyday relatable medium like cooking. She didn’t know how it would look or how long it would take to bring this to fruition, but I could see her passion in wanting to share their stories with the world and I wanted to play my part whichever way I could.

My stay in Sri Lanka spanned two months and in that time I worked with Palmera’s partner to organise a number of interviews, document many recipes and even took a few photos along the way. Though I didn’t understand the local language, I was able to feel the hardship they had gone through, by the pain in their eyes. I learnt a lot about Sri Lanka and its people on that trip and will always be near & dear to me.

Fast forward 2.5 years, I had left Sydney and moved to London with my wife, when I got a call from Abarna saying that the book was ready for launch in London! I received an early copy of the book and couldn’t put it down! It was humbling to read the trials and tribulations of the war affected women as they struggled to feed their families. But it also left with a message of hope that there is a brighter future, one where they can once again celebrate their culture through food but also something as simple as making their children’s favourite meals on their birthday.

With all this in mind, our volunteers have spent countless hours organising the venue and catering, arranging speakers and of course spreading the word far and wide about the upcoming launch! The Handmade launch will be on Wed 25th Nov. It starts at 630pm at The Walrus & The Carpenter, 45 Monument Street, London EC3R 8BU. You will not only get to taste some of the dishes from Handmade but also get to hear the journey of the cookbook from a few of the interviewers and photographers who were on the ground, and the designers of the book who brought it to life! Hope to see you on the night!