India Hicks: Entertaining, with a Side of Chaos

Style icon Hicks returns with a warm, irreverent portrait of hosting—mixing equal parts beauty, spontaneity, and joyful disorder. British designer, humanitarian, and unapologetically improvisational hostess Hicks returns with her second volume of entertaining, a lively, clear-eyed look at the art of gathering—whether an impromptu lunch that fails to end, a milestone marked with family and friends, or an island dinner shaped by whatever the Bahamian breeze has not blown away. After more than two decades in the design world, Hicks has learned that truly memorable entertaining has little to do with perfection and everything to do with the human connection. Raised amid both British tradition and impeccable aesthetics—her mother is Lady Pamela Hicks, her father the iconic designer David Hicks—Hicks blends an inherited eye for beauty with the relaxed charm of her adopted life in the Bahamas. She has welcomed guests for events intimate and grand. Some occasions are candlelit and meticulously planned; others rely on last-minute place cards, borrowed napkin rings, and freshly cut roses. All are united by the simple message: We’re happy you’re here. With her trademark humor, Hicks leads readers through dinners that ignite debates by dessert, tiny tables for two, and her own wedding, highlighting along the way how even the simplest elements—a thoughtfully improvised tablescape, flowers foraged from the garden—can create something beautiful. With recipes, photos, and stories featuring her family and four-legged co-hosts, this book is a charming reminder that hosting isn’t about perfection—it’s about welcoming people in, even if you did not iron the tablecloth.