“City Of Literature”: Kerala’s Kozhikode Joins UNESCO Creative Cities Network

Kerala’s northern city Kozhikode was among 55 cities that joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. Kozhikode, the costal city which is famous for its literary circles, writers and publications, has been added as the “City of literature”. Apart from Kozhikode, Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior has also found its place in the list, as “City of music”. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations arm aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture, made the announcement on October 31, World Cities Day.

Responding to the development, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it’s an honour for the state that the beautiful city of Kozhikode has been designated as a UNESCO City of Literature.

“Kozhikode is the first city in India to receive this prestigious title, and it is a moment of great pride for all of us. This recognition is a testament to the city”s rich literary heritage and vibrant cultural scene. Let”s celebrate this incredible achievement and continue to promote the love for literature and creativity in our state,” he added.

He congratulated the people of Kozhikode for the achievement.

A statement from UNESCO said that the new cities were acknowledged for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centered urban planning.

“The cities in our Creative Cities Network are leading the way when it comes to enhancing access to culture and galvanizing the power of creativity for urban resilience and development,” says Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General.

With the addition of 55 new cities, the Network now counts 350 cities in more than one hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

Newly designated cities will cooperate with Network members to strengthen their resilience in the face of evolving threats such as climate change, rising inequality, as well as rapid urbanization, with 68% of the world’s population projected to live in urban areas by 2050.

The newly designated Creative Cities are invited to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference (1 – 5 July 2024) in Braga, Portugal, under the theme “Bringing Youth to the table for the next decade”.