India Hicks has been on island time for thirty years. The humanitarian, designer, writer, and mother of five was born in England to the British interior designer David Hicks and the late Lady Pamela Hicks, although she and her husband, David Flint Wood, now call Harbour Island in the Bahamas home. Hicks travels widely, including to the American South, and she is known for the parties she throws, beckoning scores of friends and family from around the globe to her lively tables. Her new book, India Hicks: Entertaining, with a Side of Chaos (out September 8 from Rizzoli), reflects on the gifts of imperfection and improvisation through celebrations large and small.
It’s been seven years since you last published an entertaining book. How did this one come to be?
In those seven years, an awful lot happened. We had COVID, I lost a big business, and the world changed. I realized there was a lot to share that played into how we live, entertain, and tell stories. The title really sets the scene. I think it immediately puts a reader at ease; they know they’re not going to find something that’s absolute perfection throughout.
How has living on Harbour Island underscored that notion?
It’s a little rough around the edges here, and I think that’s a good thing. You use your imagination more, because you can’t run to get fresh flowers or a new lamp shade or napkins at the store. I think that’s played into the slight chaos of how we entertain. On top of that, I have five children, and now that they’re growing up, the time when we sit and talk is around the table. If I can get them to linger longer because there’s a good bottle of wine or a beautiful flower blooming or a new tablecloth that feels inspiring, it provokes better conversation.
Tell us about your entertaining style and aesthetic.
The backbone to the way I entertain and live is through friends and family, and making guests feel like they’re part of my life. It doesn’t take much to make someone feel welcomed. Aesthetically, my style is fairly understated. I love to use Mother Nature’s textures and colors. We take advantage of being able to eat outdoors and we’re very big on bringing the outside in. It may be that I have a whole load of coconuts and palm fronds down the center of the table, or if I’m in England, tiny teacups filled with roses.
The way I grew up in England is very different from the way I entertain now. The dining rooms were much more formal, everybody had a toast rack and a little silver butter dish. Now we entertain in a much looser way, but my events are still thought through to a certain extent. No matter where we are, good lighting is very important. And I love thinking about my guests, and who’d enjoy sitting next to one other or who might be fascinated or learn from somebody else.
Is there any quick entertaining wisdom you can impart to our readers?
I try to encourage people to worry less and have fun more. And use anything that’s around you; you don’t have to spend a lot of money.
Speaking of which: The book is full of relaxed and resourceful ideas—like foraging in nature for decorations and using duvet covers as tablecloths—mixed with your trademark humor. Can you share any moments that readers might not expect?
There’s a chapter called “How to Get Rid of Your Guests.” I’ve hosted a lot and gotten to the age where I love to set a table, have good conversation, and eat delicious food, but I also love when guests leave!
Throughout the book you speak frequently of your “top banana,” chef Claire Williams. How has delegating in the kitchen helped you be a better host?
I admire those who can do it all, but I don’t want to be in a kitchen. That’s not where my skillset lies. I like to tell women particularly, that is okay. It’s a choice. Claire and I will often sit and debate about what we’re going to serve. Because I travel a lot and am very lucky in being able to eat in beautiful restaurants and experience different cultures, I bring ideas back to her. We have fun designing a menu together.
[Get Williams’s recipes for roasted tomato soup and mini cheesecakes.]
What does your process look like when planning a party in the Bahamas?
I think first of who I’ve invited. There’s quite a community here on Harbour Island, and what I love is it’s very diverse. I may have Captain Bob come eat with us—he’s a great island character who runs the local supermarket—along with a film director from Hollywood. That’s interesting to me, the different touchpoints and walks of life sitting around the same table. Then I’ll think about what we’re serving them, and how to decorate. For example, we recently had David Lauren, Ralph Lauren’s son, and his wife and their young kids for dinner. They’d never been here before, and I wanted it to feel super relaxed. We included our tortoise while having drinks on the terrace and the kids fed him watermelon. We did a buffet and included plain buttered pasta, and we put masses of shells on the tables, which were fun for the kids to touch.
Are there any entertaining lessons from the South or sentiments you’ve held onto over your years traveling here?
I did a book on my mother and her life lessons two years ago [Lady Pamela: My Mother’s Extraordinary Years as Daughter to the Viceroy of India, Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen, and Wife of David Hicks (Rizzoli)]. One of the things she spoke about was manners. I realized it takes so little to use our manners, and yet I think we’re losing them. The South is extraordinary and a wonderful example of where manners are still first and foremost. The hosting is on another scale. I find people are extremely courteous there. In England, you’d say you’re minding your Ps and Qs, and I certainly mind mine when I’m in the South.
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