Edible Book Festival

2024

Edible Book Festival

Tuesday, April 2
12:30 – 2:30pm

Glass Pavillion, Homewood Campus

About the Festival

The Sheridan Libraries Edible Book Festival began in 2014 and is now a highly-anticipated Johns Hopkins tradition. It is one of many such festivals that take place around the world on or around April 1 to celebrate books, art, food, and culture. In our festival, edible books are desserts inspired by literary titles, characters, or authors. Contestants are encouraged to combine word play with books, decoration, and ingredients.

Edible Book Festivals began with the Books2Eat website in 2000 and are now celebrated internationally. The event was created to commemorate the birthday of gastronome and author Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. April Fools’ Day is also the perfect day to eat your words.

The Sheridan Libraries Book Festival is sponsored by the Winston Tabb Special Collections Research Center.

2024 Festival Guidelines

Contest Entry

Eligibility: Open to all Johns Hopkins affiliates (students, faculty, staff, donor groups, and alumni).
Entry requirements:
- The dessert must be made from edible materials.
- The dessert does not have to look like a book; it simply needs to be inspired by one.
- Please follow the JHU Social Compact when creating your edible book.
Deadline: If you would like your recipe to be included in the annual Edible Book Festival recipe card set, please submit your recipe by 5pm on Friday, April 12. You will receive a link to the recipe form.

Questions or Comments? Email Heidi Herr at hherr1@jhu.edu and follow @jhuspecialcollections on Instagram to see highlights from previous festivals.

Registration has closed.

Categories & Awards

Best in Show

This edible book has it all: creativity, polish, and flare. From the written statement to the photos to the edible book itself, this dessert is the James Beard Award and the Nobel Prize for Literature combined!

Best Literary Theme

Let’s face it. You want to read instead of eat the book! This edible book perfectly embodies its literary inspiration or entices you to move the book to the top of your summer reading list.

Best Effort

This category represents the spirit of the edible book festival! While it may not be the ace of cakes, this edible book is replete with charm and discernible effort, like the first draft of a promising writer!

Most Delicious Edible Book

Not only does this edible book defy the limits of books and desserts, but it sets new levels of excellence for deliciousness as well!

Funniest/Pun-iest

The edible book entry most likely to put a smile on your face! Clever, humorous, or super-silly, it makes your stomach roar with laughter and rumble with delight.

Best Vegan

You can’t believe it’s not butter . . . or a book!

Judging

All attendees may judge submissions. Winners are chosen by popular vote.

2024 Winners

Best in Show

First Place: The Lorax (Cassie Peterson, Julianna Smith, & Eliza Stokes)
Second Place: Winnie the Pooh (Katie Xie, Alexis Zhang and Ruvimar Acevedo Martinez)

Best Literary

First Place: Moby Dick: Ahab’s Revenge (Holly Tominack)
Second Place: How to Eat Fried Worms (Maren Bohan)

Best Effort

First Place: The Count of Monte-Crusto (Sam Bessen)
Second Place: Dune (Samantha Godinez)

Special Library Jury Prize

The Hunger Games (Amy Kronenberg, Abby Russman and Zoe Seely)

Most Delicious

First Place: Sweet Bean Paste (Kristen Corlay and Emily Nakayama)
Second Place: Frankenstein: The Sub-Lime (Katherine Wang)

Funniest/Pun-iest

First Place: What Ronnie D Owes Me (Sarah Annis and Ying Qin)
Second Place: Don Quicheote (Kim Le)

Best Vegan

First Place: The Secret Garden (Katherine Budinger & Elena Echavarria Gil)
Second Place: Calvin & Hobbes (Phoebe More)

FAQs

Who can compete?

Students, faculty, staff, members of donor groups, and alumni of Johns Hopkins University are invited to enter the competition. The general public is welcome to attend the event and cast a vote for their favorites.
What sorts of desserts can we make?

The sky is the limit! Past entries include flan, cookies, pies, challah bread, cake pops, and traditional decorated cakes.

Look at past entries on Flickr for inspiration
Do I need to bring any supplies with me?

We will provide tablecloths, compostable napkins, plates, forks, knives, and spoons. We will also have on hand a limited number of spatulas and cake servers for you to use. Each entry will also have its very own handmade placard created by our talented Special Collections student staff! If you need to bring specialized equipment to showcase your edible book, then please email Heidi Herr at hherr1@jhu.edu.
What about photographs?

Yes, a photographer will be present at the event! Each edible book will have its own portrait taken. All contestants will receive a link to the Edible Book Fest album and are encouraged to download and share their favorite images. We will also be taking instant photos of each edible book so that all attendees can see what the dessert looked like before it was eaten!
May I enter more than one dessert?

Of course you may! This is especially important because some contestants like to participate with their friends, but also want to try to make a literary-themed dessert on their own.
What about allergens?

Yes, we care about allergens and dietary preferences! Please provide us with information about allergens on the registration form. We will be labeling entries that are gluten-free, vegan, or contain nuts. You may also email Heidi Herr at hherr1@jhu.edu regarding the presence of any potential allergens in your edible book.
Can I change books after submitting an entry form?

Yes. Please contact Heidi Herr at hherr1@jhu.edu by noon on Thursday, March 28 with any book changes.
Do I need to be present to win?

No, you do not need to be present to win. Participants will be contacted via email with the list of winners. Winners can pick up their prize from Special Collections, receive it through campus mail, or receive it mailed to their home address.
When do I drop off my edible book?

You can drop off your desserts to the Glass Pavilion starting at 9am on Tuesday, April 2. Staff will be available to register your entry and help with any set up needs. If you need to drop off your dessert a bit before 9am, that’s cool. Simply leave your entry on a table along with a note stating your name and the book title. Staff will be bringing in supplies between 8:30 and 9am, so your edible book will not be alone for very long!
What can I win?

All winners will have an historic cookbook from the Special Collections cookery collection dedicated to them and will also receive recreations of 1920s-era cake stencils. The first-place prize package will also include a book wallet (a wallet that looks like a rare book), a super-stylish literary-themed tote bag, and food-themed Squishables! The second-place prize package includes a literary-themed tote bag and a Squishable! An assortment of prizes are on view at the Special Collections Reading Room (M-level, Brody Learning Commons).