Dublin: UNESCO City of Literature

Dublin City Public Libraries welcomes the wonderful news that the capital has been formally designated a UNESCO City of Literature, part of The Creative Cities Network.  In receiving this accolade, Dublin proudly joins Edinburgh, Iowa City and Melbourne as one of only four cities in the world to bear the title of UNESCO City of Literature.

City Librarian Margaret Hayes said ‘I am particularly pleased that Dublin City Council, through its library service, has played the lead role in winning this great honour – one which reflects the fact that although Dublin is indeed a literary city, it is the gateway to literary Ireland. It is my belief that Libraries all over the country can take real pride in this re-affirmation of our importance as cultural and literary ambassadors’.

The sought after accolade was bestowed by the Director General of UNESCO and recognises Dublin’s cultural profile and its international standing as a city of literary excellence.

Detailed application was made to UNESCO last November by a steering and management group led by Dublin City Council’s library service and was subject to a rigorous vetting procedure. Partners in the submission included representatives from literary-related organisations as well as culture, arts, tourism, government, media and educational institutions across the city and country.

Visit the Dublin city of Literature website.

Dublin’s writers explain why Dublin is a city of literature.

For further information contact: Jane Alger 01 6744809.