Too many cookbooks? - a podcast by BBC World Service

Many of us love cookbooks. For some, they are a useful tool, and for others a source of inspiration. But then there are those for whom they are a whole lot more.

Emily Thomas meets two people who are obsessed with cookbooks, collecting thousands of copies, and building emotional connections with each of them.

Irish food writer Diana Henry explains how books can become soulmates, and Californian chef Cindy Pawlcyn describes how it feels to have a collection built over decades, destroyed overnight.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

(Picture: Pile of books. Credit: Getty/BBC)

Further episodes of The Food Chain

Further podcasts by BBC World Service

Website of BBC World Service