WATCH: UC Edible Books Festival a Sweet Celebration for Bibliophiles

It was a delicious dive into pop culture with frosting, as the University of Cincinnati Libraries hosted its 10th participation in the International Edible Books Festival. Appropriately, “The Hunger Games” was one of the featured creations around lunchtime, as guests admired, then devoured the edible art entries to celebrate the written word.

Alexandra Hart, a high school student, was awarded best student entry and was awarded a $25 gift card for her cornucopia creation to reflect “The Hunger Games.”

“She decided she wanted to make that entry before the movie was released,” says her mother, Olga Hart, an instruction librarian for Langsam Library.

“This year, we have 20 entries from students, librarians and staff from throughout the university,” said Dean and University Librarian Victoria Montavon. “The rules for the International Books Festival are really simple. It needs to be held on or near April Fools’ Day, the creations need to be edible, and they need to represent books in some form.”

“We have entries that range from children’s books to classics to cookbooks,” Montavon said.

Entries were judged by Leslie Schick, associate dean of library services and director of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, and Bree Scott, a student peer mentor who works in Langsam Library’s Info Commons.

Edible Books Participants 2012

(Listed by prize, creator, title – some with an edible twist – and author)

Most Magical

Stephanie Brickin, Winkler Center – “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss

Most Delicious

Allison Baker, UC student – “Heart of Darkness,” by Joseph Conrad

Most Reserved

Linda Newman, associate senior librarian – “Heart of Darkness,” by Joseph Conrad

Most Likely to be Recalled

Lauren Mills, program coordinator, UC Libraries – “A Wish to be a Christmas Tree,” by Colleen Monroe

Most Frequently Banned

Olga Hart, instruction librarian – “Worms in a Wine Glass,” by John Bright

Most Memorable

Alexandra Hart, high school student – “The Hunger Games,” Suzanne Collins

Most Inspirational

Karen KIreyenhagen, College of Allied Health Sciences– “Skipping Christmas,” by John Grisham

Most Romantic

Sara Mihaly, UC Libraries – “Lunch in Paris,” by Elizabeth Bard

Most Checked Out

Olga Hart, “Already Gone,” by John Rector

Most Beautiful

Katrina Bowling-Bergman, UC Libraries – “Silent Spring,” by Rachel Carson

Most Clever

Lisa Britt Wernke, College of Law Library – “Finding the Law,” by Robert C. Berring

Most Childish

Zoe Bergman, student – “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,” by Dr. Seuss

Most Whimsical

Debbie Weinstein, Student Services – “10 Little Rubber Ducks,” by Eric Carle

Long Overdue

Linda Newman – “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test,” by Tom Wolfe

Most Literary

Sarah Maguire, UC Libraries – “To the ‘Tollhouse’ (Lighthouse),” by Virginia Woolf

Most Hysterical

Melissa Cox Norris, UC Libraries –“The Rabbit Series,” by John Updike

Most Gruesome

Holly Prochaska, UC Libraries – “A Farewell to Arms,” by Ernest Hemingway

Most Creative

Jessica Ebert, UC Libraries – “Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies,” by Andrea Beaty

Most Edible

Megan Tischner, UC Graduate School – “How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?” by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague (illustrator)

Best Overall

Laura Laugle, Winkler Center – “Alice in Wonderland”, A Very Merry UnBirthday Cake

Best Student Entry

Alexandra Hart – “The Hunger Games,” by Suzanne Collins

The International Edible Book Festival was initiated by librarian and artist Judith A. Hoffberg. It became an international sensation in 2000 when artist Béatrice Coron launched the Books2Eat website. Traditionally, the event is celebrated on or around April 1 to mark the birthday of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), a French lawyer and politician who became famous for his book, “Physiologie du goût (The Physiology of Taste).”

International Edible Books Festival Website

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