Krakow celebrates the 10th anniversary of receiving the title of UNESCO City of Literature, which is the second non-English-speaking city after Reykjavik to be included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Although the main celebrations will take place in October during the 15th Conrad Festival, the organizers have already started some commemorative projects, such as the “Resilient Bookstores” project aimed at supporting small bookstores.
The title of UNESCO City of Literature is prestigious and helps in obtaining funds for literary projects, but it also implies an obligation to support the literary community, especially during challenging times for small bookstores.
Krakow’s UNESCO City of Literature program aims to integrate and strengthen literary entities operating in the city, such as municipal institutions, publishers, bookstores, writers, editors, illustrators, and others. The program is pioneering on a national scale, and its main objective is to promote reading. Various literary festivals, awards, and literary residencies for persecuted writers are some of the outcomes of Krakow’s ten-year membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.