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!

There are a range of activities taking place across the global Cities of Literature network to celebrate International Mother Language Day in 2025.

This December, Exeter UNESCO City of Literature are highlighting local literature as part of a global project with other Cities of Literature from across the world, to show how books from Exeter & Devon reflect the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.