Sam Mannering and Karen McMillan

Acclaimed chef Sam Mannering has joined forces with bestselling author Karen McMillan to create Everyday Strength: Recipes and Wellbeing Tips for Cancer Patients. It’s the book both wish they’d had when going through their own cancer treatments – a mix of easy-to-prepare recipes designed specifically for people who may be unwell, and tips to help manage common symptoms. Sam and Karen share their personal stories, how they created this book and how it can help families facing cancer. They certainly don’t promise a cure, but their book offers lots of tips that could make each day brighter when battling The Big C. Don’t be put off by the subject matter. Expect to be entertained and informed in a session infused with hope, inspiration and good humour.

Sam Mannering is the author of Food Worth Making and A Year's Worth: Recipes from Dunsandel Store. He cooks, writes about food, and sometimes acts a bit too. He studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. He is the weekly food columnist in the Sunday Star-Times and is a contributor to Cuisine and House & Garden. He is the executive chef and co-owner of Homestead Eatery in Auckland, a member of the board of the Wallace Arts Trust and an ambassador for Totara Hospice.

Karen McMillan is the author of twelve books, a mix of fiction and non-fiction books. Her non-fiction titles include Unbreakable Spirit: Facing the Challenge of Cancer, Feast or Famine, and From the Blitz to the Burmese Jungle and Beyond, a World War II memoir. She adapted a South African book into Dying: A New Zealand Guide to the Journey. Her novels include Brushstrokes of Memory, and two historical novels, The Paris of the East and The Paris of the West. Karen lives in Auckland, where she has volunteered for hospice for many years.