City of Literature

In August 2008, Melbourne was named the second UNESCO City of Literature.

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

The City of Literature is a designation as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. This network connects cities that want to “share experiences, ideas and best practices for cultural, social and economic development. Cities may apply to be endorsed by the Network and join the programme to ensure their continued role as centres of excellence and to support other cities, particularly those in developing countries, in nurturing their own creative economy.”

Edinburgh was the first City of Literature, announced in 2004.

Melbourne’s bid

To secure the UNESCO City of Literature designation for Melbourne, a bid document was prepared by a committee including:

• Arts Victoria staff
• Writers Victoria Director Joel Becker
• MWF Director Rosemary Cameron
• APC board member Grant Caldwell
• Eric Beecher (now Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas Chair)
• Readings Books and Music MD Mark Rubbo OAM
• Authors Carrie Tiffany and Kirsty Murray
• Hardie Grant Publishing CEO Sandy Grant.

You can read the entire submission here.

The submission included many statistics to show Melbourne’s literary strengths in publishing via independent publishing houses, literary events and festivals, libraries, bookshops and cultural spaces and history of writing and writers.

Good reading

• Arts Victoria: Media release
• Arts Victoria: City of Literature information
• Melbourne’s City of Literature submission
• UNESCO City of Literature information
• Edinburgh City of Literature Trust
• Victorian Writer November 2008. Melbourne: UNESCO City of Literature