Kozhikode Declared India’s First UNESCO ‘City of Literature’
Image Source: Hindustan Times
On June 23, Kozhikode in north Kerala, renowned for its rich cultural heritage, was officially declared India’s first UNESCO ‘City of Literature’. This recognition came after Kozhikode secured a place in the ‘Literature’ category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in October 2023.
State Local Self Government Department (LSGD) Minister, M B Rajesh, announced this significant achievement during an official event. Rajesh lauded Kozhikode as a city with a soul, characterised by humanity, harmony, a strong sense of justice, and freedom of expression. “These core values have given birth to the vibrant art of Kozhikode,” he remarked.
Rajesh credited the efficient functioning of the Kozhikode city corporation for playing a major role in earning the ‘City of Literature’ tag from UNESCO, surpassing cities with rich cultural histories like Kolkata.
To celebrate this achievement, the state government declared that June 23 will henceforth be celebrated annually as ‘City of Literature’ Day in Kozhikode. The city, known for literary greats such as the late S K Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, will announce special awards in six categories on this day.
As part of the celebration, Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas disclosed the official logo of the ‘City of Literature’ by UNESCO. Additionally, Rajesh visited the house of Jnanpith awardee M T Vasudevan Nair to present the Diamond Jubilee award instituted by the Kozhikode city corporation.
Historically known as the city of Zamorins, and referred to as Calicut during British rule, Kozhikode has attracted many foreign traders, including Persians, Arabs, Chinese, and Europeans. It was also a cradle of the freedom movement in Kerala and has been a prominent destination for book festivals for many decades. The city boasts over 500 functioning libraries and has been the base of literary activities for legendary Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair for several decades.
Alongside Kozhikode, Gwalior from Madhya Pradesh also joined the UCCN in the ‘Music’ category. These new cities were acknowledged for their commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and innovative practices in human-centered urban planning, according to a statement by the UN agency.
The UCCN now includes 350 cities from over 100 countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music. The newly designated Creative Cities, including Kozhikode, are invited to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference in Braga, Portugal, under the theme ‘Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade’.
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