As a UNESCO City of Literature, Leeuwarden and the surrounding province of Fryslân are committed to fostering the development of a professional literary community, building an international network and making literature as accessible as possible (while also addressing low literacy and multilingualism).

When we refer to ‘literature in Fryslân’, of course we primarily think of literature in the Frisian language. But it is so much more than that. Dutch poems, stories and novels also define the history, position and future of our province. And don’t forget the authors and poets who write in Bildts, Stellingwerfs or one of the other regional and minority languages in Fryslân! By emphasizing, in addition to all this, translations of writers from Fryslân and exchanges with other languages and cultures, we underline the open and inclusive character of literature in Fryslân.