Edinburgh was named the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature at a ceremony in October 2004 in Paris, France.
Edinburgh’s rich, unique literary history and thriving contemporary scene have always given the city a distinctive identity. Since our formation, we’ve striven to honour our proud literary heritage, encourage innovation, and work with other cities around the world to celebrate their stories.
— Edinburgh City of Literature's Founding Trustees in their proposal to UNESCO
UNESCO approved the designation of City of Literature as a permanent, non-competitive title to bestow international recognition on Edinburgh and Scotland as a centre of literary excellence.
Following Edinburgh’s lead, there are now more than sixty UNESCO Cities of Literature – and over four hundred UNESCO Creative Cities across seven art forms, with Edinburgh consistently playing a vital role in the development of this truly global network.
We have responded to this call to action from the beginning by delivering high-impact projects such as Edinburgh’s first citywide reading campaign and projecting poetry onto the volcanic rock of Edinburgh Castle.
Since our inception, we’ve supported literature in its broadest and most inclusive sense; we have celebrated hefty classic tomes and had graphic novels painted onto the sides of buildings.
We also build initiatives to enrich the wider artistic landscape – promoting literary tourism, creating international writer residencies and pioneering new reading and writing engagement activities.
We strive to break down barriers and biases around literature and make it accessible for all. We believe literature is for everyone.
Internationally, we work closely with our sister cities across the Cities of Literature network. Together, we have created residencies, commissions and professional development opportunities for Scottish writers and literature professionals.
For over 20 years, Edinburgh City of Literature has worked to connect lovers of literature at home and abroad. We are constantly striving to do more and have exciting new projects on the horizon. We welcome you warmly to this literary city.
