Yemisi Aribisala’s Longthroat Memoirs, which won the John Avery Award last year, is in the running for yet another high-profile award.

The book has been shortlisted for the Gourmand Awards, a.k.a. oscars of food awards, in the Food Writing category. The prestigious Gourmand Awards were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau and honor the best food and wine books published globally. With entries from 215 countries these awards have been described as the Olympics of gastronomy.

See the full shortlist here.

Aribisala is now in line to compete with authors from 17 countries for the crown of “Best Food Writer in the World.” Longthroat Memoirs, published by Cassava Republic, is a collection of essays that explore Nigerian cooking through the lens of art, sex, and cultural history. In the official blurb of the book, it is described as:

a mouth-watering appraisal of Nigerian food, Longthroat Memoirs is a series of love letters to the Nigerian palate. From the cultural history of soup, to fish as aphrodisiac and the sensual allure of snails, Longthroat Memoirs explores the complexities, the meticulousness, and the tactile joy of Nigerian gastronomy.

A book that sensuous and lyrical but also steeped in history and cultural study stands a great chance of winning.

Thankfully, we don’t have too long to wait until we find out whether Afribisala wins. The 2018 Gourmand Award ceremony is scheduled to take place from 25-28 May in Yantai, China.

Congrats to Aribisala. We are rooting for you!

For those who are interested, the book his available on Amazon. If you’re in Nigeria, buy HERE.