▲The Icelandic capital has its own literary festival. It has taken place every two years since 1985.

▲Iowa City has a rich literary history. It is the home of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. It was designated in 2008.

▲The Scottish capital has an outstanding reputation with literature. It was the first city to become a UNESCO City of Literature in 2004.

▲Melbourne joined the network in 2008. The city has a bustling publishing industry, as well as a host of talented writers.

▲Norwich has seen many literary firsts. Here, the ‘Revelations of Divine Love’ was published in 1395. It was the first English-language book written by a woman.

▲Dunedin was made a City of Literature in 2014. The city hosts many literary events, like book sales and festivals.

▲Kraków is one of the oldest cities in Poland. It has been the home of two Polish Nobel laureates in literature: Wisława Szymborska and Czesław Miłosz.

▲The Trinity College Library is a monumental testament to Dublin’s literary history, which received the honor in 2010.

▲Granada has been the home of legendary literary critics, like Melchor Fernández Almagro and Luis García Montero.

▲From the eighth to the 13th centuries, Baghdad boasted many libraries. It has also housed literary scholars and critics.

▲Prague has a storied literary history. It was made a City of Literature in 2014.

▲Barcelona has a cultural history that goes back 2,000 years. The Catalan capital has a rich literary history in both Spanish and Catalan.

▲Lviv is well deserving of its UNESCO status. Here, you can visit the Lviv International Literature Festival.

▲Ljubljana has a strong literary reputation. It is the setting for books like ‘Veronika Decides to Die’ by Paulo Coelho.

▲This city has a sprawling literary tradition. It has been a home to past authors like Horacio Quiroga and Mario Benedetti.

▲This city has links to famous authors like Lord Byron, as well as Alan Sillitoe and D. H. Lawrence.

▲This small Portuguese town is a special place for lovers of literature. It is the smallest city on this list.

▲Tartu is widely seen as a leading city for Estonian culture. It has literary festivals such as 'Crazy Tartu.'

▲Ulyanovsk is home to more than 30 bookstores, as well as two influential publishing houses.

▲Durban is an outstanding port city. It has been the home of writers like Albert Luthuli and even Mahatma Gandhi.

▲This South Korean city has a strong literary reputation. It has a unique content industry, with a noted output of cartoons and webtoons.

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Milan has served as a literary centre for centuries. Here, Alessandro Manzoni wrote his novel ‘I Promessi Sposi,' which is observed to be the manifesto of Italian Romanticism.

▲Lillehammer hosted notable writers throughout the 19th century like Sigrid Undset and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.

▲Manchester has been said to have a radical literary history. It was the meeting place of writers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The Manchester Central Library is also home to many iconic works of literature.

▲Québec City boasts an outstanding literary reputation in Francophone, Anglophone, and Aboriginal Heritage. It's a City of Literature since 2017.

▲Not only does Seattle have a vibrant literary community, there’s also a revered spoken word scene.

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Utrecht’s literary history goes back 1,300 years. The Utrecht Psalter is one of the city’s many historical texts.

▲Also designated City of Literature in 2017, Seattle has been seen as one of America’s most literate cities.

▲Heidelberg was once the center of the Romantic era, which had huge influence over German literature.

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Rio de Janeiro is known for its rich literary culture and is the birthplace of renowned authors like Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Machado de Assis, and Lima Barreto. In 2023, UNESCO designated Rio de Janeiro as the World Book Capital of 2025, following Strasbourg, in France, the 2024 selection.

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In October 2023, Kozhikode became the first UNESCO City of Literature in India. The honor was a recognition of Kozhikode's literary roots that date back to the 14th century and which blend with its music and cuisine.

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In 2021, Jakarta was designated a City of Literature, recognizing its rich literary heritage. This designation was part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, which aims to promote creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.

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In an age dominated by technology, it's nice to see books getting some well-deserved attention. Sure, streaming your favorite shows is entertaining, but there's something uniquely satisfying about diving into a good old-fashioned page-turner.

Recognizing the significance of literature, UNESCO created the Cities of Literature initiative in 2004. This prestigious title is awarded to cities around the world that have a distinctive literary culture and a strong commitment to promoting education, science, culture, and information.

Explore this gallery and read into some of the UNESCO's incredible Cities of Literature.