The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
The network which now has 246 members has led to the forming of close ties between cities with the same creative focus, be it design, film, gastronomy, music or… literature! In November 2019 Leeuwarden-Fryslân became one of 40 cities to be awarded the permanent title of UNESCO City of Literature. Edinburgh, Utrecht, Barcelona, Melbourne, Milan and Seattle are all members of the UNESCO Cities of Literature network. We are frequently in contact with Edinburgh, as well as with Ljubljana, and Tartu, which are also designated Cities of Literature.