M.F.K. FISHER FOUNDATION DEBUTS

ADVANCING THE LASTING INFLUENCE OF THE CELEBRATED FOOD ESSAYIST

[OCTOBER 27, 2025] — The family of celebrated author M.F.K. Fisher, together with friends and devoted enthusiasts, proudly announce the formation of the M.F.K. Fisher Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of one of America’s most influential food writers and cultural voices.

“Launching this Foundation is both a personal joy and a profound honor,” said Kennedy Golden, President of the Foundation and younger daughter of M.F.K. Fisher. “Our family has dreamt of creating a lasting tribute to my mother’s work for many years. To see it come to life more than thirty years after her passing is deeply moving. It is a truly fitting way of carrying her spirit forward—ensuring that her words, her wisdom, and her passion for living continue to inspire future generations.”

Widely regarded as one of the founders of modern food writing, M.F.K. Fisher transformed the way the world thinks about food. Through seminal works such as The Art of Eating, Consider the Oyster, The Gastronomical Me, and How to Cook a Wolf, she elevated the genre, blending memoir, philosophy, humor, and sensual observation in a way that established food as central to the human condition. Living much of her life in California’s wine country, she became a literary icon whose legacy included helping to found the Napa Valley Wine Library. Friends and visitors to her “Last House” in Glen Ellen included Julia Child, James Beard, John Ash, Jacques Pépin, Alice Waters, and Maya Angelou.

In a career that spanned five decades, M.F.K. Fisher published nearly three dozen books, as well as countless articles and stories for The New Yorker, Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, and Harper’s Bazaar among others.  Her extraordinary life has been the subject of numerous books and documentaries, with more currently in development.

“My grandmother possessed a unique literary voice that continues to speak to, and inspire, people of all backgrounds,” said Alex Wright, Foundation Vice President and grandson of M.F.K. Fisher. “Wherever people gather around a table, shop at a farmer’s market, or travel to learn not only about their destination but themselves—her work is alive. The Foundation will ensure that her influence continues to inspire readers, writers, artists, and people from all walks of life.”

Among its first initiatives, the Foundation is honored to have been asked to assume stewardship of the M.F.K. Fisher Emerging Writer’s Contest. The contest encourages writers of all ages to explore their creative voice and, during its first six years, has attracted participants of all ages from around the world.  

Through its programs, publications, partnerships, and gatherings, the M.F.K. Fisher Foundation seeks to keep M.F.K. Fisher’s vision and voice alive—celebrating her contributions to literature and the culinary arts while inspiring future generations to live thoughtfully, eat well, and embrace the beauty and meaning in everyday life.