Edible Book Festival

The Edible Book Festival (EBF) is an international celebration held on or around April 1st each year, where participants create food-based tributes to books, authors, and literary characters. The only real rule? Your entry must be "bookish,” whether through a title, a literary reference, or the simple form of a book, and some part of it must be edible.

Libraries, schools, and cultural institutions around the world host their own versions of this event, and now Tulane is joining the fun, thanks to one librarian who's been hooked since the very beginning. At its heart, EBF is a celebration of creativity, community, and the joy of books with a generous helping of puns on the side.

The festival runs Wednesday, April 1st from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the Howard Tilton Memorial Library first floor lobby.

Here's the schedule:

• 12:30 – 1:00 PM: Participants drop off their edible book entries
• 1:00 – 2:30 PM: Viewing and voting — browse the entries, admire the craftsmanship, and cast your ballot
• 2:30 – 3:00 PM: Winners announced and prizes distributed

Voting is by paper ballot, and categories include Best in Show, Wittiest Wordplay, and Most and Least Appetizing. Winners take home prizes including prizes and Tulane Libraries swag.

Please note that while the edible books will be on full display for viewing and judging, they will not be consumed at the event out of an abundance of caution for food safety.

Creating an entry is easier than you might think and you absolutely do not need cooking or baking skills, just creativity. Eric Cartier, Tulane's Digital Preservation Librarian and the driving force behind this year's festival, has a simple piece of advice: scan your own bookshelf and look for a title with a food rhyme or slant rhyme that can work. The pun is key to the whole entry.

If you're interested in participating, contact Tulane University Libraries at [email protected].

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