Today’s post comes to you from Frances Sims-Williams
Out-of-This-World Cooking (and Conspiracies)
The Big Tournament: Book 1 (Magda, Intergalactic Chef) – by Nicolas Wouters, illustrated by Mathilde Van Gheluwe / Translated from French by Ann-Marie Boulanger (Graphic Universe/2025) – BELGIUM
[Previously reviewed on this blog by Nanette McGuinness on Dec. 17, 2025]
Chosen to represent her home planet in the prestigious Intergalactic Cooking Tournament, brilliant young chef Magda must face off against her own doubts, as well as rivals from all over the Imperium, many of whom have much more experience than her, and seemingly much more compelling reasons to be competing than her own: to prove herself, and to make her home and family proud. But as she progresses through the competition, Magda begins to see through the glamour and glory of the competition, to the sinister conspiracy that lurks beneath.
The Big Tournament (Magda, Intergalactic Chef, Book 1) – written by Nicolas Wouters, illustrated by Mathilde Van Gheluwe, and translated from the original French by Ann Marie Boulanger – is a (mostly) light-hearted adventure that doesn’t lose its sense of humour even as it dips into some more serious themes. It’s full of imaginative worlds and creatures, colourful characters, an awful lot of delicious- looking food, and even some recipes (though with some ingredients substituted for ones more easily found on Earth), complete with tips and tricks from Magda and her family.
The Big Tournament stood out for its quirky, colourful art style, its themes of environmentalism, colonialism, and the strength of family and community, and for the sheer amount of fun in its pages! Its only downside: a big cliffhanger! But fear not, the English translations of books 2 and 3 are both already available.
TITLE: The Big Tournament (Magda, Intergalactic Chef, Book 1)
AUTHOR: Nicolas Wouters is an illustrator, comic book scriptwriter, teacher, and director of animated films. He lives in Brussels, Belgium, where he teaches at the university. Since 2020, he holds a doctoral thesis in art and art sciences. He has published Feet in Concrete (2013), Totem (2013), and Les égarés de Déjima (2018). (Via publishers website)
See also his French Wikipedia entry.
ILLUSTRATOR: Mathilde Van Gheluwe was born in Belgium. She studied illustration at the Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels, then at Luca School of Arts in Ghent. After graduating, she published independent comics within the Flemish collective Tieten met Haar. Her first graphic novel Pendant que le Loup n’y est pas, written and illustrated alongside Valentine Gallardo, was published by Atrabile in 2016. Her second comic, the highly acclaimed Funky Town, was published in English by Peow Studio.studied illustration at the Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels, then at Luca School of Arts in Ghent. After graduating, she published several independent comics and graphic novels. She lives in Brussels, Belgium. (Via publishers website)
Interview with Mathilde Van Gheluwe on the Lerner Books blog, April 2025
TRANSLATOR: Ann Marie Boulanger – Instagram
PUBLISHER: Graphic Universe, Lerner Books, 2025. Originally published by Éditions Sarbacane, 2022.
ISBN: 9781459838987
AWARDS:
REVIEWS:
Frances Sims-Williams – Committee Member – is a bookseller, a small-time bookstagrammer, and a great lover of books – particularly of the fantastical variety. She has an undergraduate degree in Classical Studies from the University of Wales, Lampeter, and a postgraduate diploma in the same subject from the University of St. Andrews, where the focus of her studies was on Classical languages and literature, and was a committee member for the 2025 GLLI Young Adult Translated Book Prize. She can most often be found on Instagram (@nightjarreads), where she likes to chat about all the books she’s reading (or planning to read), and leaves the occasional review.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of GLLI.
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