Ukrainian-British chef shares insights from her memoir at University of Chichester talk

The University of Chichester will host Olia Hercules, a Ukrainian-British chef, award-winning food writer, and campaigner, as she shares insights from her powerful memoir, Strong Roots.

The deeply personal work spans four generations of her extraordinary Ukrainian family, tracing a century of resilience, from the brutal years of Russification and Stalinist deportations, to her aunt’s defiant school protest, and her own parents’ flight from Ukraine during the 2022 invasion.

Olia will be in conversation with Dr Daria Mattingly, Lecturer in Contemporary International History (European), exploring themes of identity, resistance, and the enduring strength of family through times of upheaval.

The event is free and open to students, staff, and the wider public, on Tuesday 25 November from 6pm at the Bishop Otter Campus, Chichester.

Olia Hercules is celebrated for her acclaimed cookbooks and writing on Ukrainian cuisine. She will also discuss how food, memory, and resilience intersect in the context of war and displacement, including how recipes and shared meals preserve family stories, sustain communities, and support activism.

Beyond her culinary work, Olia is an ambassador for the Fragile X Society and a prominent voice in fundraising and awareness for Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion.

To find out more, visit: www.chi.ac.uk/event/olia-hercules-strong-roots-a-ukrainian-family-story-of-war-exile-and-hope/