NEW YORK –– Award-winning author, journalist, and essayist Raj Tawney will release his first collection of essays, Better the Next Day: On Food, Family, and the Memories We Leave Behind, in fall 2027 with Fordham University Press. The book explores a range of subject matter that has become synonymous with his prolific writing, from reliving events that shaped his formative years to examining cultural and culinary influences and his complex family history.
Tawney’s popular personal essays in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, USA Today, and dozens of publications worldwide have established him as an important multicultural voice. His 2023 debut memoir, Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience, published by Fordham University Press’s Empire State Editions imprint, won four awards, including an Ippy Award, Best Indie Book Award, National Indie Excellence Award, and Living Now Book Award. The book earned praise from national figures including Junot Díaz, Lidia Bastianich, John Leguizamo, Carla Hall, and Wajahat Ali, among others.
The following year, Tawney released All Mixed Up (Paw Prints Publishing), a middle grade novel selected as a New York Public Library Best Book for Kids 2024 pick and a Día Reading List selection.
“I feel truly grateful to continue working with such a talented, dedicated team of people at Fordham University Press,” says Tawney. “They’ve become like a second family. I had an incredible three years working on Colorful Palate, and I wouldn’t want to publish this collection with anyone else. In a publishing landscape that values and encourages sensationalism and phoniness, Fredric is one of the rare gems who lets his authors truly be themselves, and as a result, they shine brightly.”
“When Raj asked me if Fordham University Press would consider publishing a collection of his essays, I jumped at the chance,” says Fredric Nachbaur, director of Fordham University Press. “I've long admired Raj's writing about family, culture, identity, and food. We took a chance on his first book, Colorful Palate, but had confidence that readers would appreciate his honesty and humor and relate to his challenges of feeling like an outsider. We were not disappointed. Raj proved himself to be a tireless promoter and advocate for his work and for university press publishing. The awards and reviews he received attest to his exceptional writing. I am beyond thrilled to be working with Raj on his next book.”
Better the Next Day: On Food, Family, and the Memories We Leave Behind is due out in fall 2027.
Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience will be released in paperback on March 3, 2026.
