Rebel with a fork

Food writer, critic and MasterChef UK judge William Sitwell, proud scion of a long line of literary toffs, doesn't mince his words on his culinary passions and peeves.

- GERALDINE JOHNS

Consider the shopping list: 1100 chickens, 900 lambs, 2600 sheep, almost 8000kg of honey and 18,000 eggs. 

What a swell party that must have been. And the occasion? To celebrate the circumcision of a prince sometime during the era of the Ottoman Empire. The catering details, recorded by a mid-16th-century writer, are revived by William Sitwell in his latest literary effort, which also does a wonderful PR job for the historically disparaged civilisation by looking at its food rather than its political ideology.

The latter may have a way of gripping the psyche, he writes, but "food is different. If things taste good, if drinks do more than just quench thirst, then they find a way of reaching the surface, coming up for air, seeing the light." And we have plenty in the way of modern-day feasting - falafel, hummus, shared plates and more - to thank "this beast of an ancient culture" for shining a light upon our own dining tables.

Sitwell author, travel writer, food writer, restaurant critic, MasterChef UK judge and broadcaster - is bringing his prodigious wisdom to the Auckland Writers Festival next month. It is impossible to ignore what he also brings: his genealogy.

He is the great-nephew of British poet, critic (and exotically provocative socialite) Dame Edith Sitwell and of author Sir Osbert Sitwell; grandson of the writer Sir Sacheverell Sitwell; great-grandfather Sir George is another Sitwell literary luminary.

High society indeed. No wonder he attests to being very proud of his ancestors. By his own description, they are "extraordinary, unique, English rebellious aristocrats, each of whom had a fierce talent".