Book launch, performance and installation: 'To Entertain. Instructions for a Dinner Party' by Jago Rackham

On Friday 17th July, writer and cook Jago Rackham will be at Claire de Rouen at 11a Kingsland Road to celebrate the publication of his debut book, To Entertain: Instructions for a Dinner Party (Robinson, 2026).

Cook, writer and gourmand Jago Rackham has long been interested in the particular magic of the dinner party. Drawing on years spent gathering friends around crowded tables, cooking generously and talking late into the night, To Entertain is both a practical guide to hosting and a reflection on food, friendship and community.

Weaving advice with personal stories and indulgent recipes, Rackham guides readers through inviting guests, transforming small spaces, entertaining on limited budgets and creating memorable meals for every occasion. At once instructive and deeply personal, the book considers hospitality as a creative act and the dinner table as a place where relationships are formed, sustained and celebrated.

Accompanied by illustrations by artist Faye Wei Wei, To Entertain brings together recipes, reflections and observations in a work that is as practical as it is moving.

Alongside the publication, Rackham will present a window installation at Claire de Rouen featuring a large travelling trifle, accompanied by a selection of cookbooks from his personal collection.