Strong Roots: an evening with Olia Hercules

We can’t wait to welcome author Olia Hercules for the next Royston Pike talk: ‘Strong Roots’ on Wednesday 11 March at 7:30 pm at Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre in Walton. 

Olia will share the story of her family roots with a journey through four generations of one extraordinary Ukrainian family. From her grandmother’s deportation to snowy wastelands under Stalin, to her own parents’ flight from Ukraine when their town was occupied in 2022, this is an ode to the land, to ideas of home and belonging and to family stories and recipes passed down through generations. It is an account of resilience in the hardest circumstances and a celebration of the human spirit. 

Olia said: 
“It is, I believe, an important story to tell just now. Both the history of my own family, and that of millions of Ukrainians at home and in exile around the world. I hope ‘Strong Roots’ helps people to understand and connect with Ukrainians, because it is also a universal, human story that should resonate for so many.” 

Olia is the author of four cookbooks. Her first book, ‘Mamushka’, won the Fortnum & Mason Award for Best Debut Cookbook and was followed by ‘Kaukasis’, ‘Summer Kitchens’ and ‘Home Food’. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Olia co-founded a global initiative to raise money for Ukraine through cooking, Cook For Ukraine, with her friend Alissa Timoshkina. 

The Royston Pike Lecture Series is presented by Elmbridge Borough Council in association with Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre. Tickets are £4 per person and available via the Riverhouse Barn box office. 

Book your ticket for 'Strong Roots'.
 
View the next lectures in the Royston Pike spring programme.