We Speak Literature Here
There are 53 UNESCO Cities of Literature around the world, covering 39 countries and millions of people, but the question most of us get asked is: “What is a City of Literature?” The beauty—and struggle—of this UNESCO designation is that there isn’t one answer.
Ok, there’s the ‘official’ answer, which is that the Creative Cities and Cities of Literature are given this prestigious title to promote cooperation with and among cities around the world that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
Let us take you through what this looks like in practice via the annual Cities of Literature conference, this year in the utterly gorgeous Ljubljana in Slovenia.
A City of Literature is:
A network of passionate people who believe that books and stories make our lives better and make the world a better place to live.
This photo made the front page of Slovenia’s largest daily newspaper.
A city that believes in showing off its UNESCO designation to its residents and visitors and a city that is committed to placing creativity and culture at the heart of its development.
Divja misel Institute, Ljubljana’s Literature House, which houses the City of Literature office.
Mateja Demšič, Head of the Department for Culture welcoming the Cities of Literature delegates.
Ljubljana displays its UNESCO status outside its City Hall.
A place devoted to making stories accessible to everyone.
The new bookshop in the Divja misel Institute.
Library Under the Treetops, one of Ljubljana’s core programmes.
Outside the National Library.
A values-led system that believes in freedom of speech and in the protection of cultural heritage.
Maya Dimerli, Odessa City of Literature, presenting on one of their projects.
Hanna Khriakova (Lviv), Mariana Zagoruiko (Lviv), Maya Dimerli (Odessa)
Tina Popovič, who runs Divja misel
A group of countries that shares its books, stories, and writers with the world.
Every year, the Cities of Literature donate a book from their city to the host city of that year’s conference.
Masaaki Nagareo and Rie Muranaka (Okayama)
A place that puts on entertaining, meaningful, and fun events for its residents, students, and visitors, knowing that culture adds a quality of life to a region in a way that little else can.
Authors Anja Zag Golob, Carlos Pascual, and Goran Vojnović
A place to discuss ideas, overcome cultural differences, challenge our assumptions, and share in a love of words across multiple languages.
A commitment to making the Cities of Literature network stronger and more effective for its citizens.
An ethos that stands behind the belief that the ability to read and our commitment to all levels of literacy is paramount to a democratic, educated, and healthy city and country.
Olav Brostrup Müller and Cathrine Strøm (Lillehammer) and Miha Kovač discussing Reading Manifestos
Thank you, Ljubljana City of Literature (Tina, Damjan, Andrej, and Eva), for reminding us not just what a City of Literature is, but what a City of Literature can be.
Conference Statement
The UNESCO Cities of Literature celebrate literacy as the foundation of creativity, learning, and connection. Gathering in Ljubljana, we reaffirm that literacy – in every language, in every community – is essential to dignity, wellbeing, and shared futures.
Photo credits: Matej Pusnik & the members of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Annual Conference
