“Eating your words” may be a figure of speech, but once a year, people around the world (and now in Buffalo), can literally eat their words at the International Edible Book Festival.
The International Edible Book Festival is an annual event held on April 1st across the globe. This potluck dinner meets art show pushes the limits of how the word “book” is defined, uniting bibliophiles, book artists and food lovers in a celebration of the ingestion of culture and its fulfilling nourishment. Participants create edible books that are exhibited, documented and then consumed. It is also important to note that April 1st is the perfect day to eat your words (and play with them), as it is the day that was chosen to commemorate the birthday of French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755 – 1826), famous for his book Physiologie Du Goût (The Physiology of Taste).
This year marks the second annual Buffalo Edible Book Festival held at the WNY Book Arts Center in Downtown Buffalo. Prizes are awarded in a variety of categories and this year’s celebrity judges include: Lisa Tucker of Edible Buffalo, Gordon Ballard of AdStuff Promotional Products, Ron Emkhe of Buffalo Spree and Aaron Mentkowski, WKBW-DT Meteorologist. This event is not limited to book artists or culinary wunderkinds, anyone can make an edible book and enter it. Attendance is also open to anyone looking to see and eat these creations; admission includes food and access to a cash bar. All proceeds will benefit the programming provided by the WNY Book Arts Center.
For more information, visit the WNY Book Art Center’s website. There you can find the rules and details for participation (as well as photos from last year’s event).
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
6pm – 9pm
WNY Book Arts Center
468 Washington Street
Buffalo, NY 14203