The Edible Book Festival was started in 2000 by Béatrice Coron and Judith Hoffberg. It is associated with French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755 - 1826), famous for his book Physiologie du goût.
Since 2000 the event has spread around the world. Libraries and bookstores of every kind use the event to celebrate reading, food, literature, and libraries. Many places hold the event on April 1st to celebrate Brillat-Savarin's birthday.
At EIU the Edible Book Festival is the kick-off event for National Library Week. Since 2011 Booth Library has hosted the Edible Book Festival every April, and participants have included EIU students, faculty, librarians, staff, and members of the Charleston and local communities.
The links below take you to pages that document each year's festival, with lots of pictures of entries and participants, and information about individual pieces and awards.
