The Compl(eat) History of Edible Books: (Thyme)line of a Fun Tradition

Edible books festivals are held in libraries around the world each year on or about April 1^st to celebrate literature, art, creative thinking – and food. And puns. For twenty years, Myrin Library has held our own version of the event where faculty, staff and students submit tasty (sometimes tasteless) creations in hopes of winning fabulous prizes – and a chance to show off their creativity and cleverness. The 20^th Edible Books Festival will be held in the Library on April 7, 2025. To get your stomach up to speed and your taste buds in tune, we’ve compiled a digest of the highlights, fun facts, and behind-the-scenes details you’ve been craving!

• 2005: Student Jessica Gallagher, inspired by the International Edible Books Festival (which began in 2000), organized an event at Myrin Library. Entries were divided into two categories: Students vs. Faculty/Staff with a select group of judges deciding the food fates. Top Winners: If You Give a Pig a Pancake and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Commentary: First and only appearance of Pineapple Cthulhu! First of four appearances of the Rainbow Fish! For proof that cooking and baking are not required to enter the contest, please see: The Velveeta Rabbit.

• 2006: Top Winners: Jurassic Pork and The Stinky Cheese Man and Family. Commentary: Meat has never been used more effectively to convey the idea of dinosaurs. Remember what we said about no cooking skills required? First of three parodies of The Lord of the Rings.

• 2007: Top Winners: Fast Food Nation and Angels & Demons. Promotional Theme: Parodies of Library “READ” posters. Commentary: First of three appearances of Dr. Seuss’ One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. (Using real fish – gross!)

• 2008: Top Winners: Secret Life of Bees and Lord of the Pies. Promotional Theme: “Food for Thought” & “Intellectual Nourishment”. Commentary: First and only appearance of a “bodice-ripper” novel, with an actual bodice depicted on the cake! First of three parodies of Lord of the Flies.

• 2009: Top Winners: The Devil Wears Produce and The Rainbow Fish Dish. Promotional Theme: “Playing with Food”. Commentary: From the mushroom handbag to the asparagus pitchfork, this delicious Devil is the most fashionable entry ever (at least until Cocoa Chanel in 2016)!

• 2010: No longer pitting students against faculty and staff, this year the entry categories changed to individuals and groups. Top Winners: The Edible World of Beatrix Potter and The Last of the Mojitos. Promotional Theme: “Fooling with Food.” Commentary: A detailed text parody accompanies an entry for the first time with “On the Weenieology of Morels.” Only the truly obsessed take it to this next level!

• 2011: Top Winners: Burger Boy and A CIE Nine-Hole Course. Commentary: A group of students managed to combine nine Ursinus CIE texts into one gigantic entry in the form of a miniature golf course. It must be seen to be believed. If only it were life-sized and playable with meatballs!

• 2012: Top Winners: Tequila Mockingbird and The Walking Bread: Days Gone Rye. Commentary: The reclusive and mysterious “Lemony Snickers” made his first appearance, much to everyone’s dismay. Plus, grotesque bread zombie versus adorable Rainbow Fish? Sorry, Rainbow Fish!

• 2013: Top Winners: Fifty Shades of Grey Poupon and Nineteen Ate a Four. Commentary: There are dark and violent things going on this year. (We’re looking at you, Oreosteia). A prune may have been murdered in its bed? Is everyone OK???

• 2014: For the 10^th anniversary celebration, alum Jessica Gallagher returned to the festival to see what had become of her fun idea. She graciously stayed for the event, anyway! Books that inspired some entries were given away as raffle prizes. Top Winners: Mime and Punishment and Orange is the New Snack. Promotional Theme: “Eat Books. Win Big.” Commentary: The B-52s book – Wig! is one of our most viewed and downloaded festival images. And let’s give a shout-out to the ever-iconic Hamlet!

• 2015: Power was given to the people with the abolishment of the elite, and possibly corrupt, judges. Now the entire Ursinus community was invited to vote for their favorites! Top Winners: Shakespear’s Hamelette and Life of Pie. Promotional Theme: “Hannibal Leekter” (Hannibal Lecter). POP Vinyl figures were given as raffle prizes. Commentary: The elegance of Shakespear’s Hamelette cannot be overstated.

• 2016: New categories were introduced to the contest: Funniest entry, most and least appetizing, and best book representation. Top winners: In the Heart of the Sea Dip and Cocoa Chanel: A Chocolate Life. Promotional Theme: “Edible Books Episode XII: The Food Awakens.” (Star Wars). Commentary: The extreme level of violence on display in Battle Bunny nearly shut down the festival for good. Also, Slim Jims (a criminally underused ingredient) are featured for the first time in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

• 2017: In another major shakeup, individual and group categories were eliminated from the contest – leaving only an overall popular choice winner (and runner-up) along with the new categories introduced in the previous year. Overall Winner: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Promotional Theme: “Fantastic Books and Where to Eat Them.” Commentary: Someone was inspired by the promotional theme?! This will never happen again.

• 2018: Overall Winner: A Game of Thrones. Promotional Theme: “Stranger Books” (Stranger Things). Commentary: Shout out to the 7 Rabbits of Highly Effective Peeps for the best use of Easter candy in an entry. You see, Easter candy doesn’t need to be violent, “Battle Bunny”!

• 2019: The 15^th anniversary of the festival introduced a “Guess the Book” game with a chance to win comic-book themed raffle prizes! Overall Winner: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Promotional Theme: “Superheroes & Villains: Who Will Win the Ultimate Food Fight?” Commentary: Cheese Touch is our most viewed and downloaded festival image!

• 2020: The festival was abruptly canceled when the chandelier on the library’s main floor mysteriously fell and shattered. The “Phantom of Myrin” strikes again, but no one was hurt, and no one liked that chandelier anyway.

• 2021: Photos of entries are submitted with online-only voting due to the ongoing COVID shutdown. Overall Winner: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. Commentary: Far from the Madding Crowd is the first and only entry to document social distancing practices.

• 2022: Festival entries returned to the library, but online voting remained. Overall Winner: Of Rice and Men. Promotional Theme: “Edible Books Memes.” Commentary: A Clockwork Orange makes its 3rd appearance in the festival! Orange you glad to see it again?

• 2023: Overall Winner: Did You Chop Down This Tree? Commentary: Banned books are explicitly highlighted for the first time in an entry.

• 2024: Overall Winner: One Fish, Two Fish. Commentary: Alright, Dr. Seuss – settle down! (Dr. Seuss-inspired titles make their 10^th appearance). And where was Silence of the Yams when we needed you in 2015??

This brief history of thyme cannot begin to do (juice)tice to the hard wok and creativity of so many talented and hungry people! Thank you to all who entered, attended, voted, consumed, organized and promoted the festivals each year. Please browse our entire Edible Books collection to see the winners in every category and the truly mind-boggling and mouth-watering array of this funny and foodie literary feast!