Oberlin libraries hosting festival for readers with good taste

OBERLIN — Thick with puns and occasionally frosting, the third annual Oberlin Edible Book Festival will return to town next week. A collaborative event hosted by the Oberlin College Libraries and the Oberlin Public Library, the festival invites the community, college students contestants and visitors to come together every April 1 to celebrate literary masterpieces in an unusual way — by turning them into culinary works. "It's a simple idea," said Valerie Hotchkiss, the Azariah S. Root director of Oberlin College of Libraries. "It has to be edible, and it has to relate to a book. It's usually a pun, it's usually very clever, and it's always amazing." Oberlin's event is part of similar events held around the world, usually on the first of April, since 2000. It was born out of Hotchkiss' time at the University of Illinois, where there was a longstanding tradition of the edible book festival, and at Vanderbilt University, where she was director of libraries. The Friends groups from each of the respective libraries sponsors the event, and anyone in the community, including people of all ages and clubs, are encouraged to enter creative works in the contest. Hotchkiss said ideas could be book titles made into cakes to a drink inspired by a poem, or a scene from a play. Some past works of note have included "The Bread Sea Scrolls," a loaf a challah bread made into "The Legend of Sleepy Challah" and dozens of cups of steeping Earl Grey tea for "Fifty Shades of (Grey)." Two years ago a figure of a girl in a pinafore and a queen of hearts in loaf of bread — "Alice in WonderBread" — won. So did "BanAnna Creamenina," a banana cream pie with a nod to Leo Tolstoy. "And every year, there's always a lot of 'Clockwork Oranges,'" she said. Entries are dropped off between 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Public viewing and voting is from 11 a.m. to noon. All entries will be exhibited, documented and photographed before awards are announced at noon. After that, "let the cutting begin!" Hotchkiss said. Unlike most library pieces, visitors are encouraged to devour this exhibit. "We eat everything," she said. "Make sure you list the title, not who the contestant is. We tell the ingredients because we're Oberlin and everybody's got an allergy or something. And everybody comes in and looks and laughs. It's very interactive." Prizes will be awarded in eight categories: Best depiction of a classic Best entry based on a book for children or young adults Best visual presentation Best entry by someone under 18 Funniest/punniest Best collaborative creation People's choice Judge's choice A team of celebrity judges will determine the winners, to include Abbie Foster, owner of Haven Brewery; Lily Gonzalez and Juwayria Zahurullah, both Oberlin College class of 2026 and Student Senate members; Eboni Johnson, Oberlin College alumnus, STEM librarian and president of Oberlin City Council; and Victor Melfi, board member, Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries. The third annual Oberlin Edible Book Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Root Room (second floor) Carnegie Building, 52 W. Lorain St., Oberlin. To register for the contest, visit edible.oberlincollegelibrary.org.