Exeter City of Literature, Penguin, and GWR have joined forces to celebrate the birthday of the powerhouse publisher’s local origins, and Exeter’s global status as a UNESCO City of Literature.

We are delighted that one of our Trustees, Tom Staniford, is leading an exciting fundraising effort – a charity cycle ride to benefit us and 3 other charities. Read on to learn about this bike ride with a twist.

Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is the Sunday Times Bestselling author of the Future Worlds Prize winning debut novel, The Principle of Moments. She was awarded a writing residency in Barcelona, Spain, which she completed in 2024 as part of a yearly exchange between Exeter and Barcelona UNESCO Cities of Literature.

We are celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books in 2025 with a series of themed bookshelves that honour Exeter’s unique global status as a City of Literature!