‘FUN AND ALSO DELICIOUS’

Joyner Library holds first Edible Book Festival

Published Apr 03, 2012 by
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A grilled mockingbird, a chocolate pie representing “The Help,” and a battle scene constructed with Peeps and graham cracker fortress walls from “A Storm of Swords” by George R.R. Martin were some of the creations submitted for the first Edible Book Festival at Joyner Library held March 31.

With 26 entries and 80 attendees, the event raised $300 for the library’s preservation and conservation fund. The fund provides equipment, tools, and materials to ensure that collections are available for future generations.

Winning entries are as follows:

  • Most Edible: “Rabbit Finds a Way” created by Dana Raper, based on the book with the same title by Judy Delton.
  • Least Edible: “The Tiny Seed” created by Tracie Hampton, based on the book of the same name by Eric Carle.
  • Wittiest: “To Grill (Kill) a Mockingbird” created by Victoria Sexton, based on the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.
  • Best Youth Entry: “Insects” created by Shawn Bingham, based on the book with the same title by Jenny Tesar.
  • Best in Show: “Four Mice Deep in the Jungle” created by Jane Lawrence, based on the book with the same title by Geronimo Stilton.

“It was exciting to host our very first Edible Book Festival at Joyner Library. It’s a great way to promote reading and the appreciation of books through a creative interpretation that is fun and also delicious,” said Eleanor Cook, assistant director for Technical Services at Joyner Library.

The Edible Book Festival was initiated by Judith A. Hoffberg over a Thanksgiving turkey with book artists in 1999, and became an international event through the artist Béatrice Coron in 2000. This annual event has become a sensation at libraries across the country, said Cook.

The Joyner Library Edible Book Festival planning began last year after several library staff attended the festival held at Duke University, where the event has been held since 2006.

“What a wonderful sight it was to see the expressions on the faces of people as they observed so much color, so much creativity and so much fun at the Duke University Edible Book Festival in 2011. It was a true delight to be among the sightseers,” said Gloria Bradshaw, university library technician at Joyner Library.