diff --git a/bookwyrm/forms/books.py b/bookwyrm/forms/books.py
index 20f307fa..9b3c8401 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/forms/books.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/forms/books.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from django import forms
 from bookwyrm import models
 from bookwyrm.models.fields import ClearableFileInputWithWarning
 from .custom_form import CustomForm
+from .widgets import ArrayWidget, SelectDateWidget, Select
 
 
 # pylint: disable=missing-class-docstring
@@ -14,14 +15,6 @@ class CoverForm(CustomForm):
         help_texts = {f: None for f in fields}
 
 
-class ArrayWidget(forms.widgets.TextInput):
-    # pylint: disable=unused-argument
-    # pylint: disable=no-self-use
-    def value_from_datadict(self, data, files, name):
-        """get all values for this name"""
-        return [i for i in data.getlist(name) if i]
-
-
 class EditionForm(CustomForm):
     class Meta:
         model = models.Edition
@@ -56,16 +49,16 @@ class EditionForm(CustomForm):
             "publishers": forms.TextInput(
                 attrs={"aria-describedby": "desc_publishers_help desc_publishers"}
             ),
-            "first_published_date": forms.SelectDateWidget(
+            "first_published_date": SelectDateWidget(
                 attrs={"aria-describedby": "desc_first_published_date"}
             ),
-            "published_date": forms.SelectDateWidget(
+            "published_date": SelectDateWidget(
                 attrs={"aria-describedby": "desc_published_date"}
             ),
             "cover": ClearableFileInputWithWarning(
                 attrs={"aria-describedby": "desc_cover"}
             ),
-            "physical_format": forms.Select(
+            "physical_format": Select(
                 attrs={"aria-describedby": "desc_physical_format"}
             ),
             "physical_format_detail": forms.TextInput(
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/edit/edit_book_form.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/edit/edit_book_form.html
index 06035e33..bf5404be 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/edit/edit_book_form.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/edit/edit_book_form.html
@@ -155,8 +155,7 @@
                     <label class="label" for="id_first_published_date">
                         {% trans "First published date:" %}
                     </label>
-                    <input type="date" name="first_published_date" class="input" id="id_first_published_date"{% if form.first_published_date.value %} value="{{ form.first_published_date.value|date:'Y-m-d' }}"{% endif %} aria-describedby="desc_first_published_date">
-
+                    {{ form.first_published_date }}
                     {% include 'snippets/form_errors.html' with errors_list=form.first_published_date.errors id="desc_first_published_date" %}
                 </div>
 
@@ -164,7 +163,7 @@
                     <label class="label" for="id_published_date">
                         {% trans "Published date:" %}
                     </label>
-                    <input type="date" name="published_date" class="input" id="id_published_date"{% if form.published_date.value %} value="{{ form.published_date.value|date:'Y-m-d'}}"{% endif %} aria-describedby="desc_published_date">
+                    {{ form.published_date }}
 
                     {% include 'snippets/form_errors.html' with errors_list=form.published_date.errors id="desc_published_date" %}
                 </div>
@@ -259,9 +258,7 @@
                             <label class="label" for="id_physical_format">
                                 {% trans "Format:" %}
                             </label>
-                            <div class="select">
-                                {{ form.physical_format }}
-                            </div>
+                            {{ form.physical_format }}
 
                             {% include 'snippets/form_errors.html' with errors_list=form.physical_format.errors id="desc_physical_format" %}
                         </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/widgets/addon_multiwidget.html b/bookwyrm/templates/widgets/addon_multiwidget.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c8616b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/widgets/addon_multiwidget.html
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{% spaceless %}
+<div class="field has-addons">
+{% for widget in widget.subwidgets %}
+<div class="control{% if forloop.last %} is-expanded{% endif %}">
+    {% include widget.template_name %}
+    </div>
+{% endfor %}
+</div>
+{% endspaceless %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/widgets/select.html b/bookwyrm/templates/widgets/select.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eb59ebd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/widgets/select.html
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<div class="select">
+    <select
+        name="{{ widget.name }}"
+        {% include "django/forms/widgets/attrs.html" %}
+    >{% for group_name, group_choices, group_index in widget.optgroups %}{% if group_name %}
+        <optgroup label="{{ group_name }}">{% endif %}{% for option in group_choices %}
+        {% include option.template_name with widget=option %}{% endfor %}{% if group_name %}
+        </optgroup>{% endif %}{% endfor %}
+    </select>
+</div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/books/edit_book.py b/bookwyrm/views/books/edit_book.py
index 40cc44ca..2315cfce 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/books/edit_book.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/books/edit_book.py
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 """ the good stuff! the books! """
 from re import sub, findall
-from dateutil.parser import parse as dateparse
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required, permission_required
 from django.contrib.postgres.search import SearchRank, SearchVector
 from django.db import transaction
 from django.http import HttpResponseBadRequest
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, redirect
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
-from django.utils.datastructures import MultiValueDictKeyError
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
 from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
 from django.views import View
@@ -52,7 +50,6 @@ class EditBook(View):
 
         # either of the above cases requires additional confirmation
         if data.get("add_author"):
-            data = copy_form(data)
             return TemplateResponse(request, "book/edit/edit_book.html", data)
 
         remove_authors = request.POST.getlist("remove_authors")
@@ -118,7 +115,6 @@ class CreateBook(View):
 
         # go to confirm mode
         if not parent_work_id or data.get("add_author"):
-            data = copy_form(data)
             return TemplateResponse(request, "book/edit/edit_book.html", data)
 
         with transaction.atomic():
@@ -139,21 +135,6 @@ class CreateBook(View):
         return redirect(f"/book/{book.id}")
 
 
-def copy_form(data):
-    """helper to re-create the date fields in the form"""
-    formcopy = data["form"].data.copy()
-    try:
-        formcopy["first_published_date"] = dateparse(formcopy["first_published_date"])
-    except (MultiValueDictKeyError, ValueError):
-        pass
-    try:
-        formcopy["published_date"] = dateparse(formcopy["published_date"])
-    except (MultiValueDictKeyError, ValueError):
-        pass
-    data["form"].data = formcopy
-    return data
-
-
 def add_authors(request, data):
     """helper for adding authors"""
     add_author = [author for author in request.POST.getlist("add_author") if author]