‘We’re all mad here’ for the Edible Book Festival

Ashanti Thomas

An Alice and Wonderland edible display piece of Alice’s Restaurant at the annual Edible Book Festival in Booth Library.

Adriana Hernandez-Santana, Campus Reporter

The twelfth annual event known as the Edible Book Festival at Booth Library held “Alice in Wonderland” themed edible arrangements and more on Monday. 

In honor of National Library Week, the librarians at Booth Library have opened a contest of student and faculty members to create a cake display with any edible arrangement based on their favorite books. 

This event is so popular that even Charleston community members get involved and not just Eastern students and faculty.

There were various submissions, such as Alice’s Restaurant from “Alice in Wonderland,” “Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt,” and Be Our Guest from “Beauty and the Beast.”

Beth Heldebrandt, the public relations director at Eastern, was mesmerized by all the different submissions. 

“It’s always amazing to see how creative people are,” Heldebrandt said.

Heldebrandt commented on the amount of detail that went into the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” submission. 

“There are very specific things that happen in the movie that are in the food,” Herdebrandt said. “Like the kid that falls into the lake of chocolate. You can see somebody’s legs sticking up. It’s very impressive.” 

She also talked about some entries that are created through the idea of a pun. Heldebrandt mentions a pun entry that she recognized for one of the submissions.

“There’s a book called ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,’ but the entry is ‘Are You There Cod? It’s Me, Margarita.’” Heldebrandt said. 

Of the submissions, three won first, second or third place and received a prize for their creation.

“We have some gift cards to give to the first, second and third place winners,” Heldebrandt said. “That, and also bragging rights.”

The first place winner was Alice’s Restaurant based on “Alice in Wonderland” made by Elizabeth Brantley, second place “Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt” made by Ashley and Lola Boonstra and third place “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” made by Carol, Georgia and Jeremy Ryan.

 

Adriana Hernandez-Santana can be reached at 581-2812 or at aihernandez@eiu.edu.