APPETITE FOR WORDS
A Literary Festival with a Culinary Twist

The Appetite for Words Festival program features authors who have written about food, and fiction writers who allow food to become a strong component of scenes and/or the characters in their novels. The best part is, chefs from Stratford Chefs School create menus inspired by featured books so you can taste the words you’re reading. Our events also feature Literary Cocktail Tastings held at Junction 56 Distillery, and Wine Tastings at Pazzo.

Appetite for Words revolves around storytelling and is created for the enthusiastic and curious — anyone interested in reading, discussing and consuming food (that’s you, right?). We also have educational workshops and tasting sessions. Join us for our inaugural year as Appetite for Words features some of Canada’s best food writing talent.

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LITERARY DINNERS: Appetite for Words Throughout the Year!

If you want to taste delicious food throughout the year, sign up for our Appetite for Words Book Club! We’ll be hosting Appetite for Words Dinners and one-off events with visiting authors and food writers, so sign up for our mailing list by emailing AFWdinners@digiwriting.com. Between DigiWriting and the Stratford Chefs School, we put a lifetime of cooking, tasting, and reading about food into our events!

Join Appetite for Words Dinners

WRITE NOW RETREAT: How to Write A Cookbook
Learn the Art of Food Writing

Food writing can mean many things, and our intensive 3-day writing retreat will take you from concept to completion. Whether you want to write a kitchen memoir, compile your grandmother’s recipes into a book, or create your own cookbook, you’ll benefit from the rare opportunity to spend time with one of Canada’s best food writers to guide your way.

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“A natural place to have readers and writers together.”

Stratford Writer’s Festival is a natural place to have readers and writers together.

– Kim Echlin, Giller Prize Nominee

“Unique and inspired culinary literature festival.”

We hope to attend as many Appetite for Words events as possible in October. This unique and inspired culinary literature festival sprouted as a partnership, between Stratford Chefs School’s Joseph Hoare Gastronomic Writer in Residence Program and DigiWriting, in celebration of Stratford – a culinary and arts tourist destination like no other!

– Ryan Donovan and Carl Heinrich, co-owners of Richmond Station,Toronto

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Canada’s Best Culinary Authors & Foodies!

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Jen Agg

Author of memoir, I Hear She’s a Real Bitch.

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Laura Calder

Award-winning television host and bestselling author

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Chef Andrew George Jr.

Literary Dinner with Joseph Hoare Gastronomic Writer In Residence

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Jonah Campbell

Farm Lunch with author of Eaten Back to Life

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Dana VanVeller

Literary Lunch with food blogger and author of Feast

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Lindsay Anderson

Literary Lunch with food blogger and author of Feast

Stratford: A fusion of literature and the culinary arts

Our unique programming offers an intersection of literature and the arts, from actors reading along with authors, to literary musical performances. There’s so much to see and do in Stratford, from strolling the acres of parks and gardens along the Avon River, to cafes and restaurants, theatre, art galleries and music.

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F.A.Q.

The Appetite for Words Festival program features authors who have written about food, and fiction writers who allow food to become a strong component of scenes and/or the characters in their novels. The best part is, chefs from Stratford Chefs School create menus inspired by featured books so you can taste the words you’re reading. Our events also feature Literary Cocktail Tastings held at Junction 56 Distillery, and Wine Tastings at Pazzo.

Appetite for Words revolves around storytelling and is created for the enthusiastic and curious — anyone interested in reading, discussing and consuming food (that’s you, right?). We also have educational workshops and tasting sessions.

We’re afraid a general entry ticket to all Appetite for Words events does not exist. This is due to the capacity limits of the multiple venues. Instead we have individually priced all main programme tickets so attendees can build their own festival weekend package. Further to this, after Appetite for Words, we run an intensive three-day food writing retreat.
We’re not seeking to fill any jobs at Appetite for Words at present, but we do hire for big events. We can offer internships in food writing, events and marketing so if this is a requirement for you to finish your degree, email and tell us how you think you could help us out. We’re always on the lookout for those who are passionated about food and words. If that’s you, please get in touch.

And if you have a creative idea for Appetite for Words, please send any accompanying materials to:

DigiWriting
356 Ontario St.
#299
Stratford, ON
N5A 7X6

Or send electronic copies (PDF or ePUB) to: our email

Cookbook author and Food Network Host, Theresa Albert, takes your recipes from idea to concept in three days of instruction, one-on-one consultation and focused writing time.
We’re going to offer dinners based on the Literary Dinners we’re holding during the Appetite for Words festival. Sign up to stay up-to-date: AFWdinners@digiwriting.com
Mission
Stratford Chefs School is a not-for-profit career college focused on the innovative, hands-on training of high quality, aspiring chefs and culinary entrepreneurs.

Vision
To graduate tomorrow’s culinary leaders.

THE ROLE OF THE GASTRONOMIC WRITER IN RESIDENCE

Leads workshops about food writing; provides one-one-one consultations with students who are interested in food writing; presents readings of his or her work to both students and the public.

BENEFITS OF THE GASTRONOMIC WRITER IN RESIDENCE
The writer in residence will benefit the Stratford Chefs School and the wider culinary community in these ways:

1 | He or she will contribute to a more well rounded education for students, a primary objective of the School. The writer in residence will do this by helping students to produce well written documents and to understand how important these are for succeeding in the culinary industry.

2 | By executing a range of culinary / literary activities within the Stratford Chefs School and the broader community, the writer in residence will advance food writing as an important source of knowledge about food culture.

3 | By presenting public readings, he or she will help engage the
public to experience, enjoy and understand the gastronomy of our time.

The widely loved Joseph Hoare, former food editor of Toronto Life magazine, was immensely supportive of young writers interested in food and gastronomy, writers such as James Chatto, Lucy Waverman and John Allemang. After Mr. Hoare’s death in 1997, his family chose to honour his lifelong passion for food and food writing by means of an endowment to the innovative Gastronomic Writer in Residence at Stratford Chefs School, then renamed the Joseph Hoare Gastronomic Writer in Residence program.
For the first time in the School’s 34-year history we are offering spring and summer cooking classes and learning experiences devoted to the dedicated home cook. Welcome to our Open Kitchen.

Trade Secrets | Intensive workshops focused on a cooking technique, dish or product. Subjects include Wine, Pastry, Butchery and more.

Get Cooking! | Intensive workshops focused on themed recipes. Subjects include Bistro, Vegetarian, and International Cuisine.
Boot Camps | A series of classes focused on skill and knowledge development. Subject areas include Fermentation, Cookery, Pastry, Bread, and Wine.

Team Building & Wellness | Social and educational hands on cooking events for groups of 15 to 30 allow guests to cook alongside friends and colleagues or break into teams and compete.
Let us build a unique event to suit your team.