UNESCO names Kerala’s Kozhikode as the “City of Literature”

On Sunday, Kozhikode in northern Kerala, renowned for its rich cultural heritage, was officially recognised as India’s first UNESCO ‘City of Literature’. In October 2023, Kozhikode secured a spot in the ‘Literature’ category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). On Sunday, M. B. Rajesh, the State Local Self-Government Department (LSGD) Minister, officially announced this significant achievement during an event.

He highlighted Kozhikode as a city with a soul, marked by its humanity, harmony, strong sense of justice, and commitment to freedom of expression. He stated, “These core values have given birth to the vibrant art of Kozhikode.” The minister credited the effective operation of the Kozhikode city corporation for securing the ‘City of Literature’ designation from UNESCO, surpassing other culturally rich cities like Kolkata.

Honoring Literary Icons and Celebrating ‘City of Literature’ Day

The state government declared that starting next year, June 23 will be celebrated as Kozhikode’s ‘City of Literature’ Day, honoring its literary icons such as the late S. K. Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammed Basheer. On this day, special awards in six categories will be announced, according to a statement from the LSGD. During the event, Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas revealed the new UNESCO ‘City of Literature’ logo.

Minister Rajesh visited the residence of Jnanpith awardee M. T. Vasudevan Nair to present the Diamond Jubilee Award established by the Kozhikode city corporation. Historically known as the city of the Zamorins and called Calicut during British rule, Kozhikode served as a gateway to the coast for various foreigners, including Persians, Arabs, Chinese, and later Europeans, centuries ago.

As the birthplace of the freedom movement in Kerala, Kozhikode has long been a key location for book festivals. With over 500 libraries, it has served as the hub for the literary endeavors of renowned Malayalam writer M. T. Vasudevan Nair for many years. Alongside Gwalior, Kozhikode is one of the 55 new cities that joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). The updated list was published on the UCCN website on World Cities Day, October 31.

Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh was recognized in the ‘Music’ category, while Kozhikode earned its place in the ‘Literature’ category. These cities join an esteemed group awarded UNESCO tags, including Bukhara for Crafts and Folk Art, Casablanca for Media Arts, Chongqing for Design, Kathmandu for Film, Rio de Janeiro for Literature, and Ulaanbaatar for Crafts and Folk Art.

With these latest additions, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) now includes 350 cities across over a hundred countries, covering seven creative fields: crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music. The newly designated Creative Cities are invited to join the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference in Braga, Portugal, from July 1–5, 2024, which will focus on the theme ‘Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade,’ according to a UNESCO statement. Talking about these new cities, the UN agency said in their statement that “their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and displaying innovative practices in human-centered urban planning.”

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