What: The 10th annual Edible Book Festival at the University of North Texas —
UNT’s observance of the International Edible Book Festival, which has
held on or near April Fool’s Day since 2000. UNT students, faculty
and staff members create representations of books out of food, which are
judged by those who attend the festival to eat the tasty entries.
When: 2-3:30 p.m. April 1 (Monday)
Where: Forum on the first floor of UNT's Willis Library, which is located one block east
of Highland Street and Avenue C at 1506 W. Highland St.
Cost: Free
Contact: Kristin Boyett at the Willis Library, 940-565-2486 or Kristin.Boyett@unt.edu
DENTON (UNT), Texas — April Fool’s Day is the one day of the year when people are encouraged to pull pranks.
It won’t be a joke, however, when some visitors to the University of North Texas’ Willis Library eat books — but, fortunately, not the books on the shelves.
Cakes decorated with themes of specific books and other tasty tomes will be offered at the UNT Libraries’ annual Edible Book Festival, which will be held April 1 (Monday) for the 10th year. The festival is scheduled from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the first floor Forum of the Willis Library, which is located at 1506 W. Highland St., one block east of Highland Street and Avenue C.
UNT students, faculty and staff members enter their completely edible representations of books in several categories, including Best Adult Nonfiction Book, Best Children’s Book and Best Non-Cake Book.
Over the past nine years, entries have included everything from two unclothed Barbie dolls sitting on a plate of sandwiches and lettuce for William S. Burroughs’ novel “Naked Lunch,” a line of soft drink cans to represent John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row,” a loaf of bread studded with green olives for “Oliver Twist,” and a large bowl of chocolate mousse for the children’s book “A Chocolate Moose for Dinner.” Elaborately decorated cakes are also always on the festival’s menu. Those who attend the festival judge the entries on originality and creativity, skill and construction, visual appearance and adherence to the theme of a book.
The UNT Libraries began its Edible Book Festival as part of the observance of the International Edible Book Festival, which is scheduled each year on or near April 1. The date is the birthday of 18th-century French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who became famous for writing a witty meditation on food.
UNT’s Edible Book Festival is free to both those who want to enter a tasty creation and those who want to attend to eat the books. For more information, contact Kristin Boyett at the Willis Library, 940-565-2486 or Kristin.Boyett@unt.edu.
Note: Photos of past Edible Books may be downloaded here.