Season of Salt and Honey : 5 Minutes with Author Hannah Tunnicliffe

A little over a month ago I received a copy of Season of Salt and Honey in the mail. I was teary before I had even finished the first chapter. Written by Hannah Hunnicliffe, a New Zealand born author, mother of two and avid traveller, the novel is a rare delight that takes you on an exploration of grief, love and delicious recipes. The idea that food can enrich our lives in ways beyond just sustenance and a full stomach was woven into the narrative in ways I didn’t really expect.

As I turned the last page of Season of Salt and Honey I knew I wanted to talk to Hannah. I was intrigued and keen to learn more about her and the inspiration for Frankie (the main character), the setting and even about her blog, Fork and Fiction.

So I reached out and shortly after found myself with 5 minutes to pose a few questions. I am so grateful to Hannah for finding some time to reply. I hope you enjoy reading the interview.

Fork and Fiction combines your passion for food and writing, tell us a little about your background.

Hi Leah. Previously I was the Director of Human Resources for Crown Casino (renamed ‘Altira’) in Macau, China. After becoming dissatisfied and burnt out I finally decided to quit my job and follow my ‘natural curiosities’. I did a range of things including career coaching, fundraising for a local orphanage and eating a lot of macarons (a kind of French pastry)! At the same time I dedicated myself to writing 1,000 words a day and the sum of those efforts and days eventually became my first novel, The Colour of Tea (published by Pan Macmillan). To be writing as a job is a dream come true.

How did Fork and Fiction come about?

Fork and Fiction is a blog  (editor: this blog no longer exists) about food, books, writing and family. I share it with my friend, fellow author and Mama, Ria Voros, who lives in British Columbia, Canada. Fork and Fiction came about when I sent her this email: “Hey, I just had a fantastic idea…. You and I – writing from different hemispheres – about work and family and advice and seasons and home making and writing. Wouldn’t it be wonderful?? A kind of ongoing conversation with photographs, gossip etc.” (that’s text cut directly from the email, by the way!) In other words, Fork and Fiction came about because I really liked talking to my friend about the things we both really like! Seems sweet and naive now, as we have grown and learned an awful lot, but those simple intentions are still what keeps the blog going.

You are a self confessed nomad. How have you continued your need for movement now that you are a mother?

As you prove on Kid Bucket List, it’s totally possible to sustain your adventuring spirit with children. Their natural curiosity and appetite for exploration serve as great encouragement! Just like you and your family, we regularly go on little adventures in our hometown (Auckland, NZ). The destinations are sometimes planned, sometimes unpredicted but always our kids help us notice the small, strange or beautiful things we might have missed otherwise. Weeds topped with bright flowers, a rock pool dotted with sea anemones, the dirty, dusty joy of pebbles in a car park! We love museums, beaches, galleries and markets.

Further afield – this year we were lucky enough to take two overseas trips as a family. The girls were incredible and coped with all the challenges admirably. Sure, kids don’t make travel easier but they can make the experience richer! Here is a post I wrote on a friend’s blog about what I learned from our experience: Travel with Tots (a.k.a The Tiny Tyrants)

What is your favourite family travel destination right now? What is at the top of your Bucket List?

Great question; the Bucket list is so long! I would love to go on a campervan trip around the South Island of New Zealand or to Bali to see monkeys and temples and rice paddies. I am currently working on a manuscript that is set in Sicily so perhaps Sicily is our next family travel destination. How good would that be? Fingers crossed!

Tell us about your latest novel, Season of Salt and Honey. What inspired the story?

I started writing Season of Salt and Honey while I was living in Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver is backed by beautiful mountains covered in coastal rainforest, which is dark and fragrant and teeming with life. I was greatly inspired by this setting and the idea of a young woman, facing a huge challenge in her life, living amongst this kind of forest. I wondered about the people she might meet and the insights she might have about herself and her life. Those musings were the foundation of Season of Salt and Honey and its protagonist, Francesca (Frankie) Caputo.

Lastly, the KidBucketList is all about adventures and new experiences with our kids. What new recipe would you recommend we try in the kitchen to get the whole family involved?

Okay, confession – I don’t get my kids involved with cooking nearly as much as I should! When I do we tend to make sweet, unhealthy things like biscuits or cakes. I figure there is nothing like the memory of licking the spoon or the bowl! My favourite recipe to make with the kids is one for Afghan biscuits. Second only to Anzac biscuits, Afghans are the quintessential kiwi bikkie. Soft, rich and cocoa-ey, made crunchy by the addition of cornflakes and topped with chocolate icing and a walnut. 

If you want a gluten and dairy free version to try instead you could use My Darling Lemon Thyme’s recipe, which looks scrumptious.

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Season of Salt and Honey is available in all good shops from today for RRP$29.99.