As the preferred venue for the Kerala Literature Festival and several book festivals, Kozhikode was designated a 'City of Literature' by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), making it India's first literary city. Apart from Kozhikode, 54 other cities were designated as 'Creative Cities' in the announcement made on the occasion of World Cities Day. Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh has been named 'Music City'.
A UNESCO statement said the new cities were acknowledged for their strong commitment to using culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and for demonstrating innovative practices in human-centred urban planning. With the latest additions, UCCN now counts 350 cities in more than 100 countries, representing seven creative sectors: crafts and folk arts, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music.
As a newly designated creative city, Kozhikode, along with Gwalior, has been invited to participate in the UCCN Annual Conference to be held in Braga, Portugal from July 1 to 5, 2024. The theme of the conference, 'Bringing youth to the table for the next decade', emphasizes the role of youth in shaping the future of creative cities. This presents an excellent opportunity for Kozhikode to share its experiences, exchange ideas and contribute to the global creative community.
City of literature
UNESCO's Cities of Literature program is part of a wider Creative Cities Network that was launched in 2004 and is currently made up of 295 UNESCO Creative Cities globally. Members come from over 90 countries and cover seven creative fields: crafts and folk arts, design, film, gastronomy, literature, music and media arts. The network was born out of UNESCO's Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity initiative, which was created in 2002.
Cities of Literature designated by UNESCO share similar characteristics:
- Quality, quantity and diversity of publications in the city
- The quality and quantity of educational programs focusing on domestic or foreign literature at primary, secondary and tertiary levels
- Literature, drama and/or poetry playing an important role in the city
- Hosting literary events and festivals that promote domestic and foreign literature
- The existence of libraries, bookstores and cultural centers, public or private, that preserve, promote and disseminate domestic and foreign literature
- Involvement of the publishing sector in translation of literary works from diverse national languages and foreign literature
- Active participation of traditional and new media in promoting literature and strengthening the market for literary products
Cities submit bids to UNESCO to be designated a City of Literature. Designations are monitored and reviewed by UNESCO every four years.
Information about Kozhikode city
Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, in the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of over 20 lakh, making it the second largest metropolitan area in Kerala and the 19th largest in India. Kozhikode is classified as a Tier 2 city by the Government of India. Has gone. Kozhikode was included in the list of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in November 2023 and Kozhikode is the first city of literature in India.