UNESCO announces new Cities of Literature

The United Nations’ cultural arm UNESCO has announced 10 new Cities of Literature among its latest 58 Creative Cities.

Newly designated as Cities of Literature are Aberystwyth (Wales), Abuja (Nigeria), Celje (Slovenia), Conakry (Guinea), Dumaguete City (Philippines), Gdańsk (Poland), Kahramanmaraş (Türkiye), Lund (Sweden), San Luis Potosi (Mexico) and Tangier (Morocco).

The UNESCO City of Literature program is part of the organisation’s wider Creative Cities Network, each member of which “promote[s] their local creative scene and conform[s] to UNESCO’s goal of fostering cultural diversity”.

Criteria for qualifying as a City of Literature relate to local publishing, educational and cultural initiatives, as well as infrastructure and investment supporting domestic and overseas literary activities.

Melbourne was named a City of Literature in 2008, while Hobart achieved the status in 2023.

Reykjavík City of Literature program manager Kjartan Már Ómarsson said, “We warmly welcome the new Cities of Literature to our global network. Their creativity, diversity, and commitment to the written word will strengthen our collective mission to place culture and storytelling at the heart of sustainable and inclusive urban development.”

More information about the UNESCO Cities of Literature, including a full list, can be found on the program’s website.

Photo of Gdańsk by Diego Delso/Wikimedia.

Category: International news