A 2024 bucket list for book lovers
Edinburgh, Dublin, Ljubljana, Dunedin and Reykjavík, part of UNESCO's Cities of Literature, are among the top destinations for book lovers.
Travel ideas typically take shape around historical, natural or architectural landmarks, but a book lover would like nothing more than to open a new holiday chapter by exploring cities renowned for their literary heritage.
Poetry recitals, book readings, storytelling, author talks, literary walks, libraries, museums, exhibitions, festivals, conferences, bookshops -- it’s not surprising that bibliophiles enjoy making a beeline for cities where the written and spoken word are given equal importance.
Enter UNESCO’s Cities of Literature, the ideal bucket list for book lovers. UNESCO’s City of Literature programme is part of the wider Creative Cities Network, which was launched in 2004 and covers seven creative fields: literature, music, crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, and media arts.
Cities of Literature have one aim: To ensure that the literary and creative sectors in their cities thrive through a shared global strategy. Collaborations such as World Poetry Day, International Literacy Day, Translation Day, and International Mother Language Day make this possible. There are currently 53 cities of literature, spanning 39 countries and six continents.
The criteria include the “quality, quantity, and diversity of publishing in a city; the quality and quantity of educational programmes that focus on literature; the extent to which literature, drama, and/or poetry play a significant role in city life; whether literary events and festivals are hosted there; the number of libraries, bookstores, and cultural centres; and the media’s involvement in promoting literature”.
St Augustine famously said: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” So, here’s a roundup of the top 5 UNESCO Cities of Literature to put on your must visit list for 2024:
Edinburgh, Scotland
Located on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since the 15th century. The “Athens of the North” was the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment, a period in the 18th and early 19th century that led the city to be called a “hotbed of genius”. Edinburgh is where the world’s first circulating library was established in 1726, and the first copy of the Encyclopaedia Britannica was published in 1768.
Authors with an Edinburgh connect include Robert Burns, James Hogg, Kenneth Grahame, Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, JM Barrie, and Muriel Spark in the past, and JK Rowling, Ian Rankin, Iain Banks, Irvine Welsh, and Alexander McCall Smith in the present. The city even has its own version of the Poet Laureate: the Edinburgh Makar.
Dotted around the city are homages to its literary giants: the towering Scott Monument, one of the largest monuments to a writer; statues of poet Robert Fergusson and Sherlock Holmes (at Picardy Place, the birthplace of his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle), and a memorial to Stevenson is located in a grove in Princes Street Gardens.
What shouldn’t you miss? The Writers’ Museum, which celebrates the lives of three of the finest Scottish writers: Burns, Scott, and Stevenson. The Makars’ Court is a national literary monument. Then there are the libraries: the National Library of Scotland, the Scottish Poetry Library, which aims to transform people’s lives through engagement with poetry, and the Scottish Storytelling Centre, which showcases Scotland’s culture.
Take one of the many literary walking tours or poetry walks that retrace the footsteps of authors and poets, visit in August to attend Edinburgh International Book Festival, or explore the many indie bookshops that include Armchair Books, McNaughton’s, and Typewronger Books.
Dublin, Ireland
Few cities in the word love the written word as much as the historic capital of Ireland. The river Liffey – James Joyce first called it Anna Livia – cleaves the city, balancing north and south, and everywhere, in Georgian squares or on gorgeous bridges, you can see heritage plaques and literary reminders.
In the words of Joyce, one of Dublin’s most famous sons, there’s a reason why his native town figures so prominently on the map: “For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world.”
Dublin was also home to four Nobel laureates: William Butler Yeats, Seamus Heaney, George Bernard Shaw, and Samuel Beckett.
No wonder then that literary places dot the cityscape: the National Library houses more than 12 million items and an award-winning exhibition on Yeats; Archbishop Marsh’s Library, the oldest public library in Ireland that has remained unchanged since it was established in 1707; and the Chester Beaty, one of the best museums in Europe.
The Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) showcases literary artefacts, including the first copy of Joyce’s Ulysses, and immersive exhibitions on the country’s most influential writers and poets. At the National Print Museum, the displays champion the cause of print and its impact on the world at the only museum of its kind in Ireland and the British Isles.
The city’s pride in its literary heritage can be seen in the place names. Three of the newest bridges on the Liffey are named after writers – Joyce, O’Casey, and Beckett. Other cultural institutions include the Abbey Theatre and Trinity College, home to the Book of Kells and the Long Room, one of the world’s most beautiful libraries.
Today, the capital of Ireland boasts a flourishing literary scene, a booming publishing industry, several book festivals, and numerous bookshops. The prestigious International Dublin Literary Award, founded in 1995 by Dublin City Council, draws entries from more than 160 countries.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
One of the smallest European capitals, Ljubljana has created a culture around literature. The city that was recognised for its art, particularly painting and sculpture, in the 15th century, was designated the World Book Capital by UNESCO in 2010 and went on to become a City of Literature in 2015 on the back of numerous literary initiatives.
The city’s geographical location, at the crossroads of the Germanic, Mediterranean, and South Slavic worlds, has created a confluence of different cultures and influences. It is best known for its Library under the Treetops, a series of small libraries located in outdoor urban locations across Ljubljana. Everyone is welcome to read for free from available books, newspapers and magazines out in nature.
But the earliest libraries in Ljubljana were located in monasteries, with the first public library, Carniolan Estates’ Library, established in 1569 by Primož Trubar. Ljubljana now has many libraries including the National and University Library of Slovenia, the Central Technological Library, and Municipal City Library.
The capital also hosts multiple festivals round the year: World Poetry Day celebrations, Stories Today Festival, and Vzkrik Festival of Drama Writing in March, Slovene Book Days, held in early spring in Ljubljana and partner towns, and Book Night to popularise reading every April. June brings a Children’s Book Festival and Bookstore Night, which has been taking place since 2014 and when bookstores keep their doors open late into the night and offer special programmes.
Summer on the Silver Screen and between the Book Covers in August focuses on the meeting point of film and literature while Days of Poetry and Wine Festival, brings together poetic verse and Slovenian wines. Others include Vilenica International Literary Festival in September, Tinta Comics Festival in October, and November’s Slovene Book Fair, which has been organised since 1972.
Don’t miss a guided walk that traces the footsteps of poets and writers who left their mark on Ljubljana. It begins or ends at the statue of France Prešeren, a poet credited with providing Slovenia with a national identity and the national anthem.
Dunedin, New Zealand
Famously called “Edinburgh of the South”, Dunedin is a small city that “lives, breathes and connects through its people, its culture and its intense love of literature”. Ōtepoti (Dunedin) is widely known for its Scottish influence, but the area is also home to Māori history and stories of the manawhenua that settled here long before the Europeans arrived.
Dunedin is a university town, and a city where books, literature, and writers thrive. Lovers of the written word will enjoy spending time in the many libraries around town. The Dunedin Athenaeum and Mechanics’ Institute is the oldest literary establishment and grew out of an organisation that was started to give the working class access to knowledge and education. It now hosts book launches, literary lectures, and poetry readings.
Others include Hewitson Library, which has one of New Zealand’s largest theological collections of print material; Hocken Library, a national research hub that has, since 1910, gathered a huge collection of publications, maps, pictures, and photographs; and Robertson Library, a shared library run by University of Otago’s College of Education and Otago Polytechnic. Most libraries have busy event calendars, with lectures, performance, art and launches.
The Dunedin Chinese Garden, a traditional Chinese scholars garden modelled on a much older version in sister city Shanghai, offers the best possible environment -- poets and writers can shut out the outside world and focus on what’s inside in the midst of nature and literature. The de Beer Gallery has a collection of more than 7,000 pre- and post-1800 books and manuscripts showcasing aspects of European civilisation and culture from the Renaissance to the end of the 20th century.
Other literary locations include All Saints Church, which has a link to many notable literary figures, including OE Middleton, the Back Beach Poetry Trail created by the writers’ collective of the same name, and the quirky Hard to Find Bookshop, the largest single book store in New Zealand. Sign up for a literary walking tour to explore the sites and buildings that inspired some of Dunedin’s great personalities.
Every May, the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival features multi-genre events and experiences along with an exciting lineup of international writers and those from New Zealand. In July, the New Zealand Young Writers Festival offers an eclectic mix of workshops, performances, talks, and parties.
Reykjavík, Iceland
Reykjavík, the most northern capital in the world, is one of the smallest capital cities in Europe, but has a thriving cultural scene courtesy the numerous museums, theatres, galleries, and universities.
The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies is the centre of the Icelandic Sagas and other medieval literature and showcases a literary heritage that is at the core of the country’s identity. The Vigdis Finnbogadottir Institute of Foreign Languages aims to establish a World Language Centre, to create an international centre of languages and culture, with facilities for teaching , research, and disseminating knowledge of languages and culture.
The city is home to most of Iceland’s writers, with many winning international and Nordic awards. Halldór Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955 for “vivid epic power which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland”. Other popular writers include Thor Vilhjálmsson, Gudrún Helgadóttir, Ragnheidur Gestsdóttir, and Kristín Steinsdóttir.
Love for the written and spoken word is celebrated at festivals held through the year: Reykjavík International Literature Festival (held biannually since 1985), the International Children’s Literature Festival (a biannual event since 2001), and the annual International Poetry Festival. Other cultural events include the Reykjavík Arts Festival, Reykjavík Culture Night, the Winter Lights Festival, and the new Reykjavík Children’s Culture Festival.
Other bookish events include the Week of the Book in April, literature walks by the Reykjavík City Library, poetry and book readings at public spaces and bookshops, and international seminars and conferences organised by the University of Iceland.
A variety of Icelandic literature can be explored at the two main libraries: Reykjavík City Library, the largest public library in Iceland; and National Library of Iceland, which offers access to all published material in Iceland.
Not to be missed is one of the main reading promotions across the country - The Book Flood Before Christmas, which is more tradition, less organisation. The Icelandic habit of publishing books primarily in the months leading up to Christmas, jólabokaflód, ensures a flood of books in bookstores, libraries, cafés, bars, schools, and workplaces, with events and book readings organised almost everywhere.
What better Christmas gift could a book lover ask for?
Teja Lele is an independent editor and writes on books, travel and lifestyle.
Travel ideas typically take shape around historical, natural or architectural landmarks, but a book lover would like nothing more than to open a new holiday chapter by exploring cities renowned for their literary heritage.
Poetry recitals, book readings, storytelling, author talks, literary walks, libraries, museums, exhibitions, festivals, conferences, bookshops -- it’s not surprising that bibliophiles enjoy making a beeline for cities where the written and spoken word are given equal importance.
Enter UNESCO’s Cities of Literature, the ideal bucket list for book lovers. UNESCO’s City of Literature programme is part of the wider Creative Cities Network, which was launched in 2004 and covers seven creative fields: literature, music, crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, and media arts.
Cities of Literature have one aim: To ensure that the literary and creative sectors in their cities thrive through a shared global strategy. Collaborations such as World Poetry Day, International Literacy Day, Translation Day, and International Mother Language Day make this possible. There are currently 53 cities of literature, spanning 39 countries and six continents.
The criteria include the “quality, quantity, and diversity of publishing in a city; the quality and quantity of educational programmes that focus on literature; the extent to which literature, drama, and/or poetry play a significant role in city life; whether literary events and festivals are hosted there; the number of libraries, bookstores, and cultural centres; and the media’s involvement in promoting literature”.
{{/usCountry}}The criteria include the “quality, quantity, and diversity of publishing in a city; the quality and quantity of educational programmes that focus on literature; the extent to which literature, drama, and/or poetry play a significant role in city life; whether literary events and festivals are hosted there; the number of libraries, bookstores, and cultural centres; and the media’s involvement in promoting literature”.
{{/usCountry}}St Augustine famously said: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” So, here’s a roundup of the top 5 UNESCO Cities of Literature to put on your must visit list for 2024:
Edinburgh, Scotland
{{/usCountry}}St Augustine famously said: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” So, here’s a roundup of the top 5 UNESCO Cities of Literature to put on your must visit list for 2024:
Edinburgh, Scotland
{{/usCountry}}Located on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since the 15th century. The “Athens of the North” was the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment, a period in the 18th and early 19th century that led the city to be called a “hotbed of genius”. Edinburgh is where the world’s first circulating library was established in 1726, and the first copy of the Encyclopaedia Britannica was published in 1768.
Authors with an Edinburgh connect include Robert Burns, James Hogg, Kenneth Grahame, Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, JM Barrie, and Muriel Spark in the past, and JK Rowling, Ian Rankin, Iain Banks, Irvine Welsh, and Alexander McCall Smith in the present. The city even has its own version of the Poet Laureate: the Edinburgh Makar.
Dotted around the city are homages to its literary giants: the towering Scott Monument, one of the largest monuments to a writer; statues of poet Robert Fergusson and Sherlock Holmes (at Picardy Place, the birthplace of his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle), and a memorial to Stevenson is located in a grove in Princes Street Gardens.
What shouldn’t you miss? The Writers’ Museum, which celebrates the lives of three of the finest Scottish writers: Burns, Scott, and Stevenson. The Makars’ Court is a national literary monument. Then there are the libraries: the National Library of Scotland, the Scottish Poetry Library, which aims to transform people’s lives through engagement with poetry, and the Scottish Storytelling Centre, which showcases Scotland’s culture.
Take one of the many literary walking tours or poetry walks that retrace the footsteps of authors and poets, visit in August to attend Edinburgh International Book Festival, or explore the many indie bookshops that include Armchair Books, McNaughton’s, and Typewronger Books.
Dublin, Ireland
Few cities in the word love the written word as much as the historic capital of Ireland. The river Liffey – James Joyce first called it Anna Livia – cleaves the city, balancing north and south, and everywhere, in Georgian squares or on gorgeous bridges, you can see heritage plaques and literary reminders.
In the words of Joyce, one of Dublin’s most famous sons, there’s a reason why his native town figures so prominently on the map: “For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world.”
Dublin was also home to four Nobel laureates: William Butler Yeats, Seamus Heaney, George Bernard Shaw, and Samuel Beckett.
No wonder then that literary places dot the cityscape: the National Library houses more than 12 million items and an award-winning exhibition on Yeats; Archbishop Marsh’s Library, the oldest public library in Ireland that has remained unchanged since it was established in 1707; and the Chester Beaty, one of the best museums in Europe.
The Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) showcases literary artefacts, including the first copy of Joyce’s Ulysses, and immersive exhibitions on the country’s most influential writers and poets. At the National Print Museum, the displays champion the cause of print and its impact on the world at the only museum of its kind in Ireland and the British Isles.
The city’s pride in its literary heritage can be seen in the place names. Three of the newest bridges on the Liffey are named after writers – Joyce, O’Casey, and Beckett. Other cultural institutions include the Abbey Theatre and Trinity College, home to the Book of Kells and the Long Room, one of the world’s most beautiful libraries.
Today, the capital of Ireland boasts a flourishing literary scene, a booming publishing industry, several book festivals, and numerous bookshops. The prestigious International Dublin Literary Award, founded in 1995 by Dublin City Council, draws entries from more than 160 countries.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
One of the smallest European capitals, Ljubljana has created a culture around literature. The city that was recognised for its art, particularly painting and sculpture, in the 15th century, was designated the World Book Capital by UNESCO in 2010 and went on to become a City of Literature in 2015 on the back of numerous literary initiatives.
The city’s geographical location, at the crossroads of the Germanic, Mediterranean, and South Slavic worlds, has created a confluence of different cultures and influences. It is best known for its Library under the Treetops, a series of small libraries located in outdoor urban locations across Ljubljana. Everyone is welcome to read for free from available books, newspapers and magazines out in nature.
But the earliest libraries in Ljubljana were located in monasteries, with the first public library, Carniolan Estates’ Library, established in 1569 by Primož Trubar. Ljubljana now has many libraries including the National and University Library of Slovenia, the Central Technological Library, and Municipal City Library.
The capital also hosts multiple festivals round the year: World Poetry Day celebrations, Stories Today Festival, and Vzkrik Festival of Drama Writing in March, Slovene Book Days, held in early spring in Ljubljana and partner towns, and Book Night to popularise reading every April. June brings a Children’s Book Festival and Bookstore Night, which has been taking place since 2014 and when bookstores keep their doors open late into the night and offer special programmes.
Summer on the Silver Screen and between the Book Covers in August focuses on the meeting point of film and literature while Days of Poetry and Wine Festival, brings together poetic verse and Slovenian wines. Others include Vilenica International Literary Festival in September, Tinta Comics Festival in October, and November’s Slovene Book Fair, which has been organised since 1972.
Don’t miss a guided walk that traces the footsteps of poets and writers who left their mark on Ljubljana. It begins or ends at the statue of France Prešeren, a poet credited with providing Slovenia with a national identity and the national anthem.
Dunedin, New Zealand
Famously called “Edinburgh of the South”, Dunedin is a small city that “lives, breathes and connects through its people, its culture and its intense love of literature”. Ōtepoti (Dunedin) is widely known for its Scottish influence, but the area is also home to Māori history and stories of the manawhenua that settled here long before the Europeans arrived.
Dunedin is a university town, and a city where books, literature, and writers thrive. Lovers of the written word will enjoy spending time in the many libraries around town. The Dunedin Athenaeum and Mechanics’ Institute is the oldest literary establishment and grew out of an organisation that was started to give the working class access to knowledge and education. It now hosts book launches, literary lectures, and poetry readings.
Others include Hewitson Library, which has one of New Zealand’s largest theological collections of print material; Hocken Library, a national research hub that has, since 1910, gathered a huge collection of publications, maps, pictures, and photographs; and Robertson Library, a shared library run by University of Otago’s College of Education and Otago Polytechnic. Most libraries have busy event calendars, with lectures, performance, art and launches.
The Dunedin Chinese Garden, a traditional Chinese scholars garden modelled on a much older version in sister city Shanghai, offers the best possible environment -- poets and writers can shut out the outside world and focus on what’s inside in the midst of nature and literature. The de Beer Gallery has a collection of more than 7,000 pre- and post-1800 books and manuscripts showcasing aspects of European civilisation and culture from the Renaissance to the end of the 20th century.
Other literary locations include All Saints Church, which has a link to many notable literary figures, including OE Middleton, the Back Beach Poetry Trail created by the writers’ collective of the same name, and the quirky Hard to Find Bookshop, the largest single book store in New Zealand. Sign up for a literary walking tour to explore the sites and buildings that inspired some of Dunedin’s great personalities.
Every May, the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival features multi-genre events and experiences along with an exciting lineup of international writers and those from New Zealand. In July, the New Zealand Young Writers Festival offers an eclectic mix of workshops, performances, talks, and parties.
Reykjavík, Iceland
Reykjavík, the most northern capital in the world, is one of the smallest capital cities in Europe, but has a thriving cultural scene courtesy the numerous museums, theatres, galleries, and universities.
The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies is the centre of the Icelandic Sagas and other medieval literature and showcases a literary heritage that is at the core of the country’s identity. The Vigdis Finnbogadottir Institute of Foreign Languages aims to establish a World Language Centre, to create an international centre of languages and culture, with facilities for teaching , research, and disseminating knowledge of languages and culture.
The city is home to most of Iceland’s writers, with many winning international and Nordic awards. Halldór Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955 for “vivid epic power which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland”. Other popular writers include Thor Vilhjálmsson, Gudrún Helgadóttir, Ragnheidur Gestsdóttir, and Kristín Steinsdóttir.
Love for the written and spoken word is celebrated at festivals held through the year: Reykjavík International Literature Festival (held biannually since 1985), the International Children’s Literature Festival (a biannual event since 2001), and the annual International Poetry Festival. Other cultural events include the Reykjavík Arts Festival, Reykjavík Culture Night, the Winter Lights Festival, and the new Reykjavík Children’s Culture Festival.
Other bookish events include the Week of the Book in April, literature walks by the Reykjavík City Library, poetry and book readings at public spaces and bookshops, and international seminars and conferences organised by the University of Iceland.
A variety of Icelandic literature can be explored at the two main libraries: Reykjavík City Library, the largest public library in Iceland; and National Library of Iceland, which offers access to all published material in Iceland.
Not to be missed is one of the main reading promotions across the country - The Book Flood Before Christmas, which is more tradition, less organisation. The Icelandic habit of publishing books primarily in the months leading up to Christmas, jólabokaflód, ensures a flood of books in bookstores, libraries, cafés, bars, schools, and workplaces, with events and book readings organised almost everywhere.
What better Christmas gift could a book lover ask for?
Teja Lele is an independent editor and writes on books, travel and lifestyle.
One Subscription.
Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.
Archives
HT App & Website
