British chef Elizabeth Haigh’s cookbook pulled by publisher after Singapore author accuses her of plagiarism
- The former MasterChef UK contestant, who is of Singaporean-British heritage, released her cookbook ‘Makan: Recipes from the Heart of Singapore’ in May to initial acclaim
- But Haigh now faces heat after her cookbook was alleged to contain material paraphrased from a 2012 book by Singaporean author Sharon Wee
A British publisher has withdrawn a cookbook written by a celebrity chef from circulation amid allegations that it contains material plagiarised by a Singaporean author.
Written by former MasterChef UK contestant Elizabeth Haigh, the book Makan: Recipes from the Heart of Singapore was published in May this year to acclaim and buzz.
The chef of Singaporean and British heritage wrote that she had wanted to collect, adapt and understand the recipes and techniques used by her Singaporean mother as she “didn’t want them to be lost”.
Haigh said recipes were authentic to her as “they are my history, my journey and the refection of my family as it has grown and developed over the years”.
But earlier this month, Singaporean author Sharon Wee said on Twitter she was distressed to discover that certain recipes and content from her book – Growing Up in a Nyonya Kitchen, published by Marshall Cavendish in 2012 – had allegedly “been copied or paraphrased without my consent in Makan by Elizabeth Haigh”.
Writing in a Twitter post on October 6, Wee said she immediately contacted Bloomsbury Absolute, Makan’s publisher, to bring the matter to their attention.
“I am grateful that Bloomsbury has responded to my concerns by withdrawing Makan from circulation,” Wee said.
In a statement to The Washington Post, a spokesperson from the publishing firm said that the book “has been withdrawn due to rights issues”.
In her Twitter post, Wee said her book was both a “cookbook and memoir” in which she recreated her mother’s personalised recipes.
Wee said she had “interviewed older relatives, researched my Nonya heritage and recounted my family history” as part of the writing process.
Removed from shelves
Since the controversy broke out, users on social media have alleged similarities between the two books.
Singaporean poet and author Daryl Lim said he found the allegations against Haigh “intriguing and also a bit worrying” as she is a “much-feted chef and celebrity who has earned a Michelin star and even appeared in several videos by popular Malaysian YouTuber Uncle Roger, most recently on October 10.
Lim said he got a hold of both books to conduct a comparison and “ascertain the truth”.
“What I found was rather disturbing: It seems there are parallels not only in the recipes, but also in the structure of the cookbook and perhaps most distressingly, allegedly personal recollections,” Lim wrote in an Instagram post.
He also shared several images and comparisons which he said “will demonstrate my point”.
“There are many other instances which I spotted, but I felt myself becoming a bit disgusted, especially when it seems the memory of someone else’s mother was being somewhat appropriated,” Lim added.
Following the allegations, several bookstores around the world have pulled the cookbook from their shelves. Lifestyle website Coconuts Singapore also reported that local publisher Epigram had removed Haigh’s book from its listings.
In New Zealand, bookstore Cook the Books said it would send refunds to customers who had bought Makan.
“To pass someone else’s recipes off as your own is one thing. To appropriate their personal memoir is unforgivable,” it said. “If you have purchased a copy of Makan it can be returned and refunded.”
Meanwhile, Singapore store Anthony The Spice Maker on Monday alleged it had spotted similarities between two of its spice blends and the ones being sold at her London restaurant Mei Mei.
It claimed it had reached out to her over the matter but she was “unapologetic”.
“We decided to speak out because we felt robbed,” it said in posts on Facebook.
As of October 12, Haigh has not addressed the controversy.
