International Edible Book Festival

International Edible Book Festival, commonly known as Edible Book Day, is celebrated around the world on—or near—April 1. It brings together book lovers, food lovers, and book artists. Held since 2000, this global banquet is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Edible books are made and displayed at small events, photos are taken of the books, and the books are then eaten. The edible books must either look like books, include text that can be read, or be inspired in some way by a book. They must be entirely edible but can be of any size and be inspired by any type of book. The events are held at various locations around the world, such as museums, book art centers, bookstores, libraries, and cultural centers. Sometimes tickets are sold for the events, where money is raised for organizations related to books.

The day was created by Judith A. Hoffberg and Béatrice Coron. Hoffberg thought of the idea in 1999 while enjoying a Thanksgiving turkey with some book artists. Coron made a website called Books2Eat so that the edible book creations could be enjoyed by people around the world; she managed the website until 2006. The day is held on April 1 in order to commemorate the birth of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a French gastronome who is perhaps best known for writing Physiologie du goût (The Physiology of Taste). The day is also related to April Fools' Day in that it is seen as "the perfect day to eat your words and play with them."

How to Observe International Edible Book Festival

Celebrate the day by attending an International Edible Book Festival event. If you can't find one near you, organize your own. If you aren't able to attend an event, you could still make an edible book at home. If you can't think of your own idea for a book, there are plenty of ideas on Pinterest. You could also get ideas by looking at pictures from past years of the day. Make sure to document your edible book by taking photos and sharing them on social media. Another way to celebrate the day is to read The Physiology of Taste.

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