OUR STORY
Cultural organisations and individuals came together in 2018 to bid for UNESCO Creative City status, all with one thing in common: a firm belief in Exeter and Devon’s literary heritage and creative potential.
The bid centered on 1,000 years of unbroken history around reading and the paper trade, as well as what reading means to the people of Exeter and Devon.
WRITING THE BID
PRESTIGIOUS STATUS
In November 2019, Exeter was awarded City of Literature status by UNESCO in recognition of “the outstanding contributions to culture and creativity”.
The only UK city to be awarded the prestigious status that year, Exeter joined 65 cities (at the time) in the Creative Cities Network across the world.
As the local authority, Exeter City Council officially holds the designation, and initial operations took place from a base at the University of Exeter.
Anna Cohn Orchard was announced as the inaugural Executive Director of Exeter City of Literature on World Book Day 2021, bringing a wealth of experience and a strong vision for the future.
In her first year, consultations with local community groups and stakeholders took place, the Partnership Network was formed with local organisations to shape a new model of collaborative practice together, and charitable status was secured, positioning Exeter City of Literature as a new independent charity and organisation.
As pandemic restrictions eased, public-facing work could resume in earnest: the first Book Market was a resounding success, innovative bibliotherapy offerings were launched, Prince Charles and Camilla came to Exeter and met the City of Literature team and partners, and we brought big names to the city.
A NEW DIRECTION
We are focused on working with communties in Exeter & Devon and on listening to local people to find out what they want and need from a City of Literature. Whether it’s support for creative projects, bringing authors and events to the region, or providing new forms of wellbeing support through literature, we’re committed to helping celebrate local and global stories.
We also work closely with our international community of UNESCO Cities of Literature, bringing opportunities to the people of Exeter & Devon through residencies, commissions, and other collaborative projects.
OUR COMMUNITIES
This is an incredibly exciting time for Exeter UNESCO City of Literature as we turn our attention to the future as a new National Portfolio Organisation within the Arts Council.
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