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Edinburgh, Scotland - The Scottish capital has an outstanding reputation with literature. It was the first city to become a UNESCO City of Literature in 2004.
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Melbourne, Australia - Melbourne joined the network in 2008. The city has a bustling publishing industry, as well as a host of talented writers.
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Iowa City, United States - Iowa City has a rich literary history. It is the home of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
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Dublin, Ireland - The Trinity College Library is a monumental testament to Dublin’s literary history.
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Reykjavík, Iceland - The Icelandic capital has its own literary festival. It has taken place every two years since 1985.
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Norwich, England - 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.
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Kraków, Poland - 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.
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Heidelberg, Germany - Heidelberg was once the center of the Romantic era, which had huge influence over German literature.
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Dunedin, New Zealand - Dunedin was made a City of Literature in 2014. The city hosts many literary events, like book sales and festivals.
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Granada, Spain - Granada has been the home of legendary literary critics, like Melchor Fernández Almagro and Luis García Montero.
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Prague, Czech Republic - Prague has a storied literary history. It was made a City of Literature in 2014.
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Baghdad, Iraq - From the eighth to the 13th centuries, Baghdad boasted many libraries. It has also housed literary scholars and critics.
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Barcelona, Spain - Barcelona has a cultural history that goes back 2,000 years. The Catalan capital has a rich literary history in both Spanish and Catalan.
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Ljubljana, Slovenia - Ljubljana has a strong literary reputation. It is the setting for books like ‘Veronika Decides to Die’ by Paulo Coelho.
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Lviv, Ukraine - Lviv is well deserving of its UNESCO status. Here, you can visit the Lviv International Literature Festival.
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Montevideo, Uruguay - This city has a sprawling literary tradition. It has been a home to past authors like Horacio Quiroga and Mario Benedetti.
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Nottingham, England - This city has links to famous authors like Lord Byron, as well as Alan Sillitoe and D. H. Lawrence.
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Óbidos, Portugal - This small Portuguese town is a special place for lovers of literature. It is the smallest city on this list.
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Tartu, Estonia - Tartu is widely seen as a leading city for Estonian culture. It has literary festivals such as 'Crazy Tartu.'
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Ulyanovsk, Russia - Ulyanovsk is home to more than 30 bookstores, as well as two influential publishing houses.
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Bucheon, South Korea - 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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Durban, South Africa - Durban is an outstanding port city. It has been the home of writers like Albert Luthuli and even Mahatma Gandhi.
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Lillehammer, Norway - Lillehammer hosted notable writers throughout the 19th century like Sigrid Undset and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.
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Manchester, England - 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.
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Milan, Italy
- 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.
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Québec City, Canada - Québec City boasts an outstanding literary reputation in Francophone, Anglophone, and Aboriginal Heritage.
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Seattle, United States - Seattle has been seen as one of America’s most literate cities.
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Seattle, United States - Not only does Seattle have a vibrant literary community, there’s also a revered spoken word scene.
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Utrecht, Netherlands
- Utrecht’s literary history goes back 1,300 years. The Utrecht Psalter is one of the city’s many historical texts.
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Edinburgh, Scotland - The Scottish capital has an outstanding reputation with literature. It was the first city to become a UNESCO City of Literature in 2004.
© iStock
1 / 30 Fotos
Melbourne, Australia - Melbourne joined the network in 2008. The city has a bustling publishing industry, as well as a host of talented writers.
© iStock
2 / 30 Fotos
Iowa City, United States - Iowa City has a rich literary history. It is the home of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
© iStock
3 / 30 Fotos
Dublin, Ireland - The Trinity College Library is a monumental testament to Dublin’s literary history.
© iStock
4 / 30 Fotos
Reykjavík, Iceland - The Icelandic capital has its own literary festival. It has taken place every two years since 1985.
© iStock
5 / 30 Fotos
Norwich, England - 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.
© iStock
6 / 30 Fotos
Kraków, Poland - 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.
© iStock
7 / 30 Fotos
Heidelberg, Germany - Heidelberg was once the center of the Romantic era, which had huge influence over German literature.
© iStock
8 / 30 Fotos
Dunedin, New Zealand - Dunedin was made a City of Literature in 2014. The city hosts many literary events, like book sales and festivals.
© iStock
9 / 30 Fotos
Granada, Spain - Granada has been the home of legendary literary critics, like Melchor Fernández Almagro and Luis García Montero.
© iStock
10 / 30 Fotos
Prague, Czech Republic - Prague has a storied literary history. It was made a City of Literature in 2014.
© iStock
11 / 30 Fotos
Baghdad, Iraq - From the eighth to the 13th centuries, Baghdad boasted many libraries. It has also housed literary scholars and critics.
© iStock
12 / 30 Fotos
Barcelona, Spain - Barcelona has a cultural history that goes back 2,000 years. The Catalan capital has a rich literary history in both Spanish and Catalan.
© iStock
13 / 30 Fotos
Ljubljana, Slovenia - Ljubljana has a strong literary reputation. It is the setting for books like ‘Veronika Decides to Die’ by Paulo Coelho.
© iStock
14 / 30 Fotos
Lviv, Ukraine - Lviv is well deserving of its UNESCO status. Here, you can visit the Lviv International Literature Festival.
© iStock
15 / 30 Fotos
Montevideo, Uruguay - This city has a sprawling literary tradition. It has been a home to past authors like Horacio Quiroga and Mario Benedetti.
© iStock
16 / 30 Fotos
Nottingham, England - This city has links to famous authors like Lord Byron, as well as Alan Sillitoe and D. H. Lawrence.
© iStock
17 / 30 Fotos
Óbidos, Portugal - This small Portuguese town is a special place for lovers of literature. It is the smallest city on this list.
© iStock
18 / 30 Fotos
Tartu, Estonia - Tartu is widely seen as a leading city for Estonian culture. It has literary festivals such as 'Crazy Tartu.'
© iStock
19 / 30 Fotos
Ulyanovsk, Russia - Ulyanovsk is home to more than 30 bookstores, as well as two influential publishing houses.
© iStock
20 / 30 Fotos
Bucheon, South Korea - This South Korean city has a strong literary reputation. It has a unique content industry, with a noted output of cartoons and webtoons.
© iStock
21 / 30 Fotos
Durban, South Africa - Durban is an outstanding port city. It has been the home of writers like Albert Luthuli and even Mahatma Gandhi.
© iStock
22 / 30 Fotos
Lillehammer, Norway - Lillehammer hosted notable writers throughout the 19th century like Sigrid Undset and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.
© iStock
23 / 30 Fotos
Manchester, England - 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.
© iStock
24 / 30 Fotos
Milan, Italy
- 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.
© iStock
25 / 30 Fotos
Québec City, Canada - Québec City boasts an outstanding literary reputation in Francophone, Anglophone, and Aboriginal Heritage.
© iStock
26 / 30 Fotos
Seattle, United States - Seattle has been seen as one of America’s most literate cities.
© iStock
27 / 30 Fotos
Seattle, United States - Not only does Seattle have a vibrant literary community, there’s also a revered spoken word scene.
© iStock
28 / 30 Fotos
Utrecht, Netherlands
- Utrecht’s literary history goes back 1,300 years. The Utrecht Psalter is one of the city’s many historical texts.
© iStock
29 / 30 Fotos
Read into UNESCO's Cities of Literature
Today is International Literacy Day
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With the rise of technology, it's nice to see books get a little bit of love. Sure, streaming your favorite show is fun, but it's not quite the same as a good old-fashioned page-turner. UNESCO recognizes the importance of books, that's why they set up Cities of Literature in 2004. They give the title to cities around the world—that is, if they have a literary scene that's both unique and interesting. Take a look at this gallery, and read into UNESCO's incredible Cities of Literature.
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