The M.F.K. Fisher Symposium for Women in Food & Storytelling
Nashville, Tennessee
April, 4-5, 2025
We are thrilled to invite you to attend the inaugural M.F.K. Fisher Symposium for Women in Food & Storytelling, set for April 4 and 5, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
An evolution of the M.F.K. Fisher Prize, this two-day event will gather women from the fields of journalism, food writing, media, PR, and beyond, from across a range of channels including print, digital, audio, cookbooks, and more.
Our goal is to provide a space for mentorship and connection—many of the sessions will be small and interactive and there will be opportunities for one-on-one conversations between attendees and speakers. All against the backdrop of Music City. We’ll be spending time at both Nashville’s Downtown Library and a co-working space called The Malin with a few stops at other venues around town. We’re also keeping it small and intimate, with only 200 attendees.
As for who is welcome, any and all! The content will be geared toward writers, authors, journalists, and storytellers but we welcome anyone with an interest in the field or in the legacy of M.F.K Fisher herself. This event is open to the public.
From navigating today’s digital storytelling landscape to breaking down the economics of freelance work to mentorship in our field, the content will be rich, engaging, and provide direct takeaways for attendees to help advance their careers. We will also be providing optional add ons for those working on cookbooks: A Cookbook Intensive with Sally Ekus, and several “Pitch an Agent” sessions, available to those who want dedicated time with a literary agent.
Scholarships
Thanks to the generous support of The Toni Tipton-Martin Foundation with support from The Julia Child Foundation, Les Dames Chicago, and Les Dames Sonoma, we are able to offer 12 scholarships for the M.F.K. Fisher Symposium, covering registration and providing stipends for hotel and travel. Scholarships are open to women in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico pursuing a career in food media, including print, digital, podcasts, and cookbooks. One of the scholarships is specifically reserved for women in the San Francisco Bay Area. Applicants must seek hands-on learning at the Symposium and not receive financial support from other sources. To apply, submit an application, resumé, a 300- to 500-word essay, and a letter of recommendation by January 31, 2025. Winners will be announced in February 2025 For more information and the application, visit the scholarship links below:
- The Toni Tipton-Martin Scholarship, with the support from the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts
- The Joan Reardon Scholarship, sponsored by Les Dames Chicago
- Susan Kornblatt Idell Sonoma Chapter Scholarship for Bay Area Women, sponsored by Les Dames Sonoma
In the spirit of M.F.K. Fisher, this inaugural event will shine a spotlight on women in the industry of food journalism and media and will serve as a much-needed gathering to support, lift, and connect women in our fields.
Itinerary
Friday, April 4, 2025
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: The Downtown Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219
Optional Workshop Add-On: Cookbook Publishing Intensive
Join Senior Literary Agent, Sally Ekus for this 2.5 hour cookbook publishing session.
Come prepared with a 2-minute pitch outlining your cookbook idea (include title, sub-title, why you are writing the book, marketing ideas, and short summary). Participants are also encouraged to bring 4-6 comp titles for market analysis.
Noon to 5 pm
M.F.K. Symposium
Location: The Downtown Nashville Public Library, 615 Church St., Nashville, TN 37219
General Sessions
Noon - Check in and Registration
12:45 p.m. - Opening Remarks from Co-Chairs Kathy Gold, Emily Haws, and Erin Byers Murray
1:00 p.m. - Keynote: Ruth Reichl in conversation with Toni Tipton-Martin
1:45 p.m. - The Influence of Nathalie Dupree
2:00 p.m. - Snack Break
2:15 p.m. - Activism Through Food Writing, featuring Marion Nestle, Grace Young and moderator Kat Craddock
Sponsored by Les Dames d’Escoffier New York Chapter
3:00 p.m. - The Future of Food Media, featuring Abena Anim-Somuah and Kayla Stewart
Sponsored by Finn Partners
3:45 p.m. - Viewing of The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher with an introduction by Joan Nathan
5:30 to 7 p.m.
Opening Night Reception, Sponsored by Visit Music City
Location: Private Event Space, 3rd Floor, 411 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Saturday, April 5
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location: The Malin Wedgewood Houston, inside the Nashville Warehouse Co. Building, 1131 4th Ave. South, 2nd floor, Nashville, TN 37210
9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Check in / Registration and Breakfast
Sponsored by 8th & Roast
Concurrent Sessions
10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
Option 1 Storytelling Through Recipes
Option 2 M.F.K. Fisher’s Legacy: Self-Discovery Through Food Writing
Option 3 Managing & Maximizing Your Relationships with PR
Option 4 Workshop: The Confident Creator - Launching Your Creative Content Career
Option 5 Workshop: Pitch Perfect: How to Write (and Submit) A Good Pitch
Option 6 Interviews as a Full Body Sport
11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - Coffee Break
11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Option 7 What makes it Journalism?
Option 8 Choosing Your Channel: Newsletter, Socials, Podcasting—What Works For You and Your Content
Option 9 Freelancing Power Play - Tools & Strategy for Maximizing Your Income
Option 10 Workshop: The First Ingredient is You: Voice in Recipe Writing
Option 11 Workshop: Video Skills for Culinarians
Option 12 Workshop: The Craft and Creativity of the Cookbook Proposal
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Lunch and Networking
Sponsored by The Chef’s Market
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Option 13 Representation in Food Writing: Whose Stories Are Being Told & Who Gets to Tell Them?
Option 14 Using AI to Elevate Your Social Media Presence and Build Your Food Brand
Option 15 Wine Messaging for Modern Times: Updating how—and where—we talk about wine to new and existing audiences
Option 16 Workshop: Food & Emotion: What Makes for a Strong Narrative in Food?
Option 17 Workshop: Carving out Time and Ways to Write for Yourself
Option 18 Workshop: Exploring the Recipe: A Creative Writing Workshop to Find the Story Behind Your Favorite Dish
Optional Add-Ons: Pitch An Agent
Throughout the Day
We will have two literary agents on hand for optional add-on “pitch an agent” sessions. These 10-minute sessions are like speed dates: You may either pitch your book idea(s) to the agent or simply ask questions about the industry, publishing process, or their agency. The session provides guaranteed time with that agent but does not guarantee interest or further follow-up from the agent. These sessions are designed to give you practice pitching, an opportunity to make an impression, and a chance to gain insight into the publishing industry.
Please note that these are oral pitches only, and agents will not accept or take home any physical materials, such as paper manuscripts or proposals. Be prepared to succinctly describe your book idea or project, as follow-up materials may only be requested electronically at the agent's discretion. Agents may or may not express interest in your project during the session, and this is not a reflection on your work or its potential.
Make sure you are practiced and ready to go. Keep in mind that these will be scheduled during concurrent sessions and being on time is your responsibility. Plan to select a concurrent session option and step out for your agent session, arriving five minutes before your start time. It should be easy for you to step back into the concurrent sessions once you’ve finished.
Agents
Lauren MacLeod, Aevitas Creative Management
Lauren specializes in cookbooks—particularly chef-driven projects—alongside food writing, culinary scholarship, and food history. Her expertise extends to memoir, pop culture, true crime, narrative nonfiction, and a carefully curated selection of fiction. Particularly recommended for attendees wishing to pitch a food-centered narratives or memoir.
Sally Ekus, The Ekus Group
Sally represents a wide range of culinary and lifestyle authors including journalists, food writers, social media creators, and other select non-fiction niches. Recommended for attendees wishing to pitch a cookbook.
Reception and Light Bites
Location: The Malin
Sponsored by Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
Your Registration Includes:
- Access to two days of Symposium programming
- Snack breaks and a reception on Friday; Breakfast, lunch, snack breaks, and a reception on Saturday
- Water, coffee, wine, and other beverages throughout the Symposium
- Additional optional add-on, including the Cookbook Intensive and Pitch an Agent sessions
Hotel Information:
Sentral Sobro
516 Lea Ave., Nashville, TN 37203
Rate: $224 per night
Code: SMKFSHR
Link for reservations
Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown/The Gulch
901 Division St., Nashville, TN 37203
Rate: $234 per night
Link for reservations
Registration Fees
Full Weekend Pass
Members: $475
Non-Members: $525
Due to the nature of our venues, we have been filling workshops on a first-come, first-serve basis. As of now, several sessions have been filled but there is still space available.
Optional Add Ons
Cookbook Intensive with Sally Ekus: $175
Pitch an Agent Session: $50
Thank you to our Premier and In-Kind sponsors for making this event possible!
Visit Music City
Mayter Scott Creative
Laura's Gourmet
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery
Fridge
Les Dames d'Escoffier International New York Chapter
Finn Partners
The Wine Group
Rodney Strong
Belle & Bottle + Women of WA: Wine
Comstock Winery
Champagne Jeeper
Frothy Monkey
Dame Lisa Marie White
Retrograde
etch
Chef’s Market
City House
Biscuit Love
Germantown Pub
Buttermilk Ranch
Goo Goo Cluster
Waldo’s Chicken & Beer
Mama Blanche
Logging in to Register
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