Hi. Shlama. Shlomo.
I’m Arim, a Swedish-Assyrian writer from Stockholm.
Since 2019 I've been working on a cookbook—Table of Gods—inspired by the world's oldest recipes written on clay tablets in ancient Mesopotamia. A civilization I have ties to through my DNA and the culture I was raised in.
My goal with the book is to bring you to the cradle of civilization via all your senses.
At the 7th century Assyrian capital, Nineveh. Mosul, March 2023.
My Story.
I was born in Stockholm as a second-generation immigrant. My parents made sure I didn’t forget my roots by speaking Assyrian with me and cherishing our ancient traditions.
1993
I wrote my first book about a family road trip in Italy. My mother still has the only copy at home, visible for everyone to see (haha). Although I didn’t realize it then, writing this book sparked an interest I’d pick up years later.
2014
I applied to a screenwriting school and studied for two years while also working full time. I wrote several screenplays during this period. One which got representation in Hollywood (unfortunately it hasn’t been picked up—yet).
2018
I randomly discovered a book titled “The Oldest Cuisine in the World.” In the 1980s, author Jean Bottero deciphered 35 recipes on clay tablets dated to 1700 BC. But lacking measurements and proper instructions, they were essentially impossible for modern cooks to follow. What a pity, I thought, and the idea for Table of Gods was born.
2019
I decided to self-publish to control my fate this time. I read millions of words of scholarly papers, and possibly wrote as many, trying to figure out the concept for Table of Gods. At some point, it cleared. I wanted to write a book that would transport the reader to the cradle of civilization. Thus, the idea of Table of Gods grew from being a recipe book, to a history book, to a time machine (with history and recipes).
2020
I slowly learned that self-publishing a book includes far more than just writing the book. It’s more akin to starting a company, where the author only fulfills one of many important roles the company needs to succeed. I also needed photographers, cooks, food stylists, brewers, designers, editors, printers, and fulfillment partners. I initially planned to launch the book in 2021. I'm glad I didn't.
2021
My vision for Table of Gods and the reality of my manuscript were still far apart. I decided to double down on my craft and applied to a writing school for upcoming authors.* I studied for a year under the mentorship of a published author. It involved intense monthly deadlines and critiques, but elevated my writing.
*The school only accepted fiction authors, but since they considered my work unique, I got accepted.
2022
My sister helped me launch this website by the end of 2022. In 2023, over 3,000 people joined the book’s waiting list. I also launched a YouTube channel and started posting long and short videos about food and legends from ancient Mesopotamia. The videos received over 300,000 views in the first year.
2023
In Q1 we completed all the recipes, photographed them and sent them to a recipe editor. In Q2 we sent the recipes to 278 people who are currently testing them and delivering feedback. The goal for the rest of the year is to complete the non-recipe part of the manuscript, work with designers to make the book’s physical appearance live up to its title, and decide on a printer and fulfillment partner.
2024
In early 2025, I plan to pre-sell Table of Gods on Kickstarter. Make sure you subscribe to the waiting list to be notified when the Kickstarter campaign launches.
2025
