草榴社区 to Host Fun-Filled Edible Book Festival
Tue, 04/09/2024 - 01:14pm | By: Van Arnold
With mouth-watering winners such as 鈥淧oundcake for the Baskervilles鈥� and 鈥淕ame of Scones,鈥� one can rest assured that The University of 草榴社区 Mississippi鈥檚 (草榴社区) annual Edible Book Festival will once again include some intriguing entries.
The ninth annual event will be held on Monday, April 15 on 草榴社区鈥檚 Hattiesburg campus and Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. The festival is set for 2 p.m. in Cook Library Room 209A in Hattiesburg and the same time at the Gulf Coast Library at Gulf Park.
What is an edible book? Hali Black, Assistant Professor and Librarian at 草榴社区, explains that an 鈥渆dible book鈥� is a creation made from edible materials inspired by a book title, character, or author. She emphasizes that the 鈥渂ook鈥� doesn鈥檛 have to taste good 鈥� it won鈥檛 be eaten.
Black serves as festival coordinator along with Alisa Beck, Associate Professor and Librarian at Gulf Park. Each year libraries and cultural institutions around the world hold edible book festivals to celebrate the birthday of Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), the French author of a witty book on food entitled Physiologie du gout. Since its beginning in 1999, the festival has grown into an international event held annually on or around April 1.
鈥淲e are very excited to host this year鈥檚 Edible Book Festival on both 草榴社区 campuses,鈥� said Black. 鈥淯niversity Libraries strives to provide equitable access to our resources, services, and events to all of our University community, regardless of where they are located. In addition to hosting the event at both the Hattiesburg and Long Beach campuses, participants can also take part virtually anywhere.鈥�
Eligibility Requirements:
- Any 草榴社区 student, faculty, staff, alumni, or community member may participate.
Book must be made from edible materials (books will not be eaten at the festival or tasted by judges). - An entry does not have to look like a book but must be inspired by a book title, character, or author.
- Remember, the 鈥減unnier鈥� the better!
Notes Black, 鈥淚f you鈥檝e ever loved a book so much that you wanted to eat it, or driven your loved ones crazy with puns, The Edible Book Festival might be for you.鈥�
Last year鈥檚 festival included 18 entries and organizers hope to surpass that number this year. To ensure as many participants as possible, the deadline to enter has been extended until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 12.
This year鈥檚 festival is being held in collaboration with the Eagle鈥檚 Nest Food Pantry, the Gulf Park Pantry, and the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory鈥檚 Gunter Library Eagle Food Pantry. Each of these food banks provide resources for the 草榴社区 Miss Community who are temporarily experiencing challenges accessing basic necessities and food. Festival attendees are encouraged to bring a food pantry donation.
about The Edible Book Festival.