8/11/2009

in

The film "Julie and Julia" brings new awareness and skyrocketing book sales to Child's works

Natalie Gregory

People are going crazy for Julia Child thanks to the success of the new movie "Julie and Julia", which hit theatres August 7th.. The movie stars Meryl Streep as the famed chef who brought French cooking across the pond with her 1961 cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" (co-written by Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle). Alice Gomstyn of ABC News reports that sales of both the 1961 cookbook and Child's memoir, "My Life in France", have skyrocketed since the film's release, shooting to the top of best-seller lists on both Amazon.com as well as Barnes & Noble. 11,000 copies were sold of "Mastering" while "My Life" totaled 25,000 just for the week ending August 9th. Random House has ordered new printings of both books to keep up. Royalties go to the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, which supports culinary education and scholarship programs.