Register by March 31 for April 6 Edible Book Festival

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“Olive R Twist,” winner of the 2017 Edible Book Festival’s People’s Choice Award, submitted by WSU business and economics librarian Mary Gilles. Photo by Nella Letizia.

Play with your food and your words during WSU Libraries’ third annual Edible Book Festival on Friday, April 6, part of WSU Mom’s Weekend activities.

Registration for entries closes March 31; to register and for more information, visit the library guide at http://libguides.libraries.wsu.edu/ediblebooks. Participants can register individually or as a group. Entry rules are simple: Submissions must be made from edible materials and somehow relate to a book.

Edible book festivals take place around the country and world to celebrate books, art, food and culture. They got their start with the first International Edible Book Festival (http://www.books2eat.com) on April 1, 2000. Since then, organizations and universities have served up their own versions of the popular event.

WSU’s festival begins with public viewing and judging at 2:30 p.m. in the Terrell Library atrium, with winners announced at 3:30. Awards will be given for people’s choice, best visual presentation and punniest/funniest. Light refreshments will also be available.

“We really hope that people will take inspiration from a favorite book or author and run with it,” said organizer and first-year experience librarian Erica England. “Last year’s festival drew more than 100 people who voted for their favorite entry, including many WSU moms with their students. We’d like to see this become a popular Cougar tradition as well as a celebration of literature.”

“Celebrity judges” for the event will be Noel Schulz, WSU’s First Lady and a professor in the WSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Jamie Callison, executive chef and catering manager with the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management; Sarah Frame English, a WSU alum, donor and librarian with the Libraries of Stevens County (Wash.); and Marie Dymkoski, executive director of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce.