Last weekend, book lovers and chefs alike spent an afternoon showcasing and eating books. Yes, eating.

The fourth annual Seattle Edible Book Festival was a haven for Seattle’s artistic chefs, cooks, librarians, book lovers and kids, who all celebrated literature through clever — and edible — wordplay. The creative bibliophiles who attended the event cooked up entrées somehow related to books. The festival is part of an international celebration that began in 2000 in honor of French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

The event was also a fundraiser for Seattle Center for Book Arts, an organization that offers classes for bookbinding and related art forms.

Donations were given at the door before attendees sacrificed a day of sunshine for the fourth floor of the Good Sheppard Center, a majestic room with four columns and an exhibit of aesthetically pleasing pieces and cheesy puns.

Some of the entries were literally cheesy. One was a dozen empty paper cups, alongside blocks of cheddar cheese.

Unfortunately, contestant David Strauss’s artistic interpretation of Who Moved My Cheese?, Dr. Spencer Johnson’s bestselling book about change, was not enough to make the cut for “Most Punderful.”

There were so many clever titles that a hush filled the room in anticipation as everyone watched the stage, where Judge Nancy Guppy of Seattle Channel’s Art Zone in Studio stood and announced, “Most Punderful goes to Huckleberry Flan by Cath Catherine.”

Even Huckleberry Flan’s creator was surprised. “I think it [judging] was very tough,” Catherine said. “I was very surprised after seeing many entries.”

Other categories included “Most Drop-Dead Gorgeous,” “Most Appetizing,” “Most Structurally Book-Like” and “Best in Show.” However, most book artists were there simply to have fun.

“It’s just fun, fun to look at it and think of it,” said contestant Kim Bateman. “It makes you laugh.”

Other entries included “The Audacity of Gorp,” a bowl of trail mix that took Edible Book Festival producer Janet Frybergerer an audacious four seconds to make. Val Saturen and Leif Lott’s take on Oliver Twist was a pyramid-like structure of wine glasses stacked on top of each other.

Hed: Lickable literacy at Edible Books Festival

BY JULIAN ESTRADA

THE DAILY

Last weekend, book lovers and chefs alike spent an afternoon showcasing and eating books. Yes, eating.

The fourth annual Seattle Edible Book Festival was a haven for Seattle’s artistic chefs, cooks, librarians, book lovers and kids, who all celebrated literature through clever — and edible — wordplay. The creative bibliophiles who attended the event cooked up entrées somehow related to books. The festival is part of an international celebration that began in 2000 in honor of French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

The event was also a fundraiser for Seattle Center for Book Arts, an organization that offers classes for bookbinding and related art forms.

Donations were given at the door before attendees sacrificed a day of sunshine for the fourth floor of the Good Sheppard Center, a majestic room with four columns and an exhibit of aesthetically pleasing pieces and cheesy puns.

Some of the entries were literally cheesy. One was a dozen empty paper cups, alongside blocks of cheddar cheese.

Unfortunately, contestant David Strauss’s artistic interpretation of Who Moved My Cheese?, Dr. Spencer Johnson’s bestselling book about change, was not enough to make the cut for “Most Punderful.”

There were so many clever titles that a hush filled the room in anticipation as everyone watched the stage, where Judge Nancy Guppy of Seattle Channel’s Art Zone in Studio stood and announced, “Most Punderful goes to Huckleberry Flan by Cath Catherine.”

Even Huckleberry Flan’s creator was surprised. “I think it [judging] was very tough,” Catherine said. “I was very surprised after seeing many entries.”

Other categories included “Most Drop-Dead Gorgeous,” “Most Appetizing,” “Most Structurally Book-Like” and “Best in Show.” However, most book artists were there simply to have fun.

“It’s just fun, fun to look at it and think of it,” said contestant Kim Bateman. “It makes you laugh.”

Other entries included “The Audacity of Gorp,” a bowl of trail mix that took Edible Book Festival producer Janet Frybergerer an audacious four seconds to make. Val Saturen and Leif Lott’s take on Oliver Twist was a pyramid-like structure of wine glasses stacked on top of each other. The couple had only heard about this event a few nights before the festival, and they thought that they would attempt to make an entry.

“We’re hoping to come next year; I’m already planning great puns and looking forward to next year,” Lott said.

Contestant Beth Clement’s entry, a set of risqué, tan mountains with cherries on top, was reminiscent of “The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam,” an exceptional first novel by Lauren Liebenberg.

Book artist Charlotte Gitleman’s “Breaking Dawn” was a cake that looked like a chess set with two chess pieces professionally made with a paste that turns clay-like, vividly bringing the cover of Stephenie Meyer’s popular vampire love story to 3-D form.

After the prizes were awarded, the room turned from an art museum to a banquet in a matter of seconds. The attendants raced for the cutlery and began cutting down the book collection. It is now showcasing in many satiated stomachs.

Reach reporter Julian Estrada at arts@dailyuw.com.