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Welcome one and all to Playing by the book’s International Edible Book Festival!

As befits any gallery opening, there are drinks and nibbles on offer (albeit virtually)

To enter the gallery, click on the scissors below to snip the ribbon and view the astonishing entries. I’m sure you’ll agree with me there are lots of very creative entries, and really, every one is a winner!

The Gallery is open for public viewing all this week. Mélanie, from Library Mice, will be choosing her top 10 Edible Books, before passing on the shortlisted entries to our Festival Patron, Emma Chichester Clark, who’s wonderful Lulu and the Best Cake Ever was the inspiration behind the entire festival.

Emma will choose her top three Edible Books from the shortlist, and the winner will be announced on Monday 26 March, here on the blog. You’ll also be able to learn more about the different Edible Books that day – everyone is invited to link up to blog posts, facebook pages, etc that they’ve written about their entry.

Once you’ve visited the gallery, please do return here to leave a comment. Which cake made you smile the most? Which cake do you think deserves to win? Which cake would you like to eat?

Wherever you are in the world, you are cordially invited to join us in celebrating all things bookish and delicious by taking part in the inaugural Playing By The Book International Edible Book Festival!

Edible book festivals have been taking place around the world since 1999, but as there are none near me I have decided to host an online festival for all of us who can’t get to a local edible book festival.

I am honoured and utterly delighted to announce that none other than Emma Chichester Clark, one of Britain’s most distinguished illustrators, is this year’s Festival Patron! I invited Emma to be the festival’s patron after reading her wonderful new book, Lulu and the Best Cake Ever (which I reviewed recently). If you love great children’s books and cake in equal measure, this book will be right up your street!

The Edible Book I made having read Lulu and the Best Cake Ever

Entry information

To enter the festival you should create an edible book, take two photos of it and email them to me, [email protected] by Friday March 16 2012 (please feel free to email me your pictures any time before then – it would be helpful if you didn’t leave it until March the 16th if possible).

NB One of your photos should include something that “time dates” the photo eg a newspaper, your computer monitor with this page in the background etc. This is to ensure that no-one submits photos of cakes they have simply found on the web. Your second photo should be the best photo you can take of your cake. I will use this photo in an online gallery of all submitted cakes.

In your submission email please include the title/author/illustrator of the book on which your edible book is based, and a sentence or two about what in particular inspired your edible book.

Children can enter, families can enter, bakers can enter. Even authors and illustrators can enter (maybe you’ll create an edible version of one of your printed books ). Do you run a children’s bookshop? Or library? Your customers (and you!) could enter… Are you a teacher? Maybe your pupils would like to enter?

Entries are welcome from all over the world, based on children’s books in any language. The only people who aren’t eligible to enter this competition are Mélanie (one of the competition judges – see below) and myself.

Each family may enter up to two edible books to the festival.

What is an edible book?

Your creation can be anything as long as it