For Refugee Week this June, TLC is taking over the Cooking the Books format at Patio in Brighton for a special evening exploring food, memory, displacement and Kurdish culture with Pary Baban, author of Nandên: Recipes from My Kurdish Kitchen.

Born in Qaladze in Southern Kurdistan, a place known for its resistance and community, Pary fled Kurdistan with her family to escape what became known as the Anfal Genocide. Her story is difficult and powerful - but essential.

Through her restaurant Nandine in South London, and now through Nandên, meaning “kitchen”, Pary uses the food of her homeland to keep Kurdish culture alive after generations of hardship, loss and displacement.

This year’s Refugee Week theme is Courage - and Pary’s story speaks directly to that. The courage to leave, to rebuild, to remember, and to keep culture alive through food. It also invites us connect through simple acts: listening to someone’s story, trying new food and making space around the table.

After the conversation, Ingrid at Sussex Surplus will be cooking a small plate supper inspired by Pary’s food and story.

Cookbookbake will be on site to sell her books with signing after the talk.

In June 2026, Refugee Week marks 75 years since the 1951 Refugee Convention – a commitment that people forced to flee deserve protection, dignity and hope. We reach this anniversary in a challenging moment, as refugees in the UK and globally face rising hostility, harmful rhetoric and exclusion.

Thank you for your support.