Worldwide Cities of Literature
Wonju
Wonju became UNESCO City of Literature in 2019. Wonju has around 355,000 citizens and the population is ever increasing. It is the largest and the…
Prague
An architectural pearl celebrated for its renowned, well-preserved historical centre featuring a unique collection of buildings registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1992), Prague…
Norwich
A medium-sized city (population 230,000) in the East of England, Norwich is a place where ideas and the written word have flourished for over 900…
Nottingham
Located in the centre of England, and home to 320,000 inhabitants – with 786,000 in the wider urban area, Nottingham boasts a rich history of…
Heidelberg
Historically significant literature has been written and collected In Heidelberg for over 700 years. The foundation of the University of Heidelberg in 1386 marks the…
Lillehammer
Lillehammer is one of the most important cultural cities in Norway. The region has rich literary traditions and holds a leading position nationally. After the 1994 Winter Olympics,…
Kraków
At the heart of Polish language and literature, Krakow is celebrated for its publishing tradition dating back to the 16th century. Home to over 75…
Ljubljana
The Capital city of Slovenia with 280,000 inhabitants, Ljubljana is known to be a prolific centre of literary creation with an average of 850 books…
Granada
Granada, the first Spanish-speaking UNESCO City of Literature, has a long history of being home to renowned poets, writers and intellectuals. This tradition has made…
Óbidos
Once the wedding present to a Queen, the preserved medieval town of Óbidos, located 80 km north of Lisbon is without doubt one of Portugal´s…
Milan
Milan became the 24th UNESCO City of Literature in October 2017. Milan has always been a City of writers and readers. Writers born in Milan,…
Lviv
In 2009, Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine and home to 750,000 inhabitants, was recognized as the country’s Cultural Capital. Renowned for its rich…
Ulyanovsk
Renamed Ulyanovsk in 1924, the city is consideredto be at the literary heart of the Russian Federation. Now home to 600,000 people, the city is…
Québec City
Québec City became the 27th UNESCO City of Literature in October 2017, on the same day as Bucheon (South Korea), Durban (South Africa), Lillehammer (Norway),…
Iowa City
For 80 years, Iowa City has been committed to celebrating writing. The Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa pioneered the teaching of creative…
Seattle
Seattle became the 28th City of Literature in October 2017 on the same day as Bucheon (South Korea), Durban (South Africa), Lillehammer (Norway), Milan (Italy),…
Montevideo
The Capital city of Uruguay with 1.9 million inhabitants, Montevideo bears witness to a rich literary history linked to the city’s geographic position as one…
Durban
Durban became the 22nd UNESCO City of Literature in October 2017, on the same day as Bucheon (South Korea), Lillehammer (Norway), Milan (Italy), Utrecht (Netherlands),…
Bucheon
Bucheon, South Korea, is a city where the modern arts such as comics and screen music have developed under the municipal slogan “Special City of…
Melbourne
Celebrated for its vibrant literary culture, Melbourne supports a diverse range of writers, a prosperous publishing industry, a successful culture of independent bookselling, a wide…
Dunedin
Dunedin is New Zealand’s largest city by area and is renowned for its contrasting landscapes. It is a sprawling city that encompasses urban and rural…
Edinburgh
In 2004, Edinburgh was designated the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, a permanent title celebrating Edinburgh’s status as a literary capital and pioneer in…
Dublin
Dublin is a City of Literature where creativity, and especially writing and words in all forms – prose, poetry, playwriting and song writing – are…
Tartu
The Second largest city of Estonia with 120,000 inhabitants and a large student population of around 20,000 people, Tartu is considered to be the national…
Baghdad
Located along the Tigris River and at the junction of historic trade roads, Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and the country’s largest city being…
Barcelona
Since the 19th century, Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million inhabitants, has been universally recognised as a publishing centre for Spanish, Latin American and Catalan…
Reykjavík
Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, is the most northern capital in the world. With 200,000 inhabitants in the greater metropolitan area, Reykjavík may be one…