I was on holiday when a friend sent me a link to a story announcing Aberystwyth had been named Wales’ first UNESCO City of Literature.

As a former English and Drama student at Aberystwyth University – or the University of Wales Aberystwyth as it was then – I was delighted, but I didn’t really know what the designation meant.

I decided to dig a little deeper to find out more, turning, naturally, to Aberystwyth University for the answers to questions like, who are the great writers from our area who have helped put us on the map? I’m ashamed to say I can only name a few, but I know there are hundreds. The answer did not disappoint but first, more about the designation.

On 31 October, Aberystwyth Ceredigion became Wales’ first UNESCO City of Literature, joining a global network of 350 Creative Cities recognised for their excellence in creative fields across the world.

Aberystwyth Ceredigion joins over 50 Cities recognised by UNESCO for their contribution to literature, including Barcelona, Dublin, Seattle and Rio de Janeiro. The City of Literature designation also makes Aberystwyth Ceredigion the first UNESCO Creative City in Wales.

Aberystwyth and the surrounding areas have a vibrant infrastructure of festivals, bookshops, theatres, cultural events, lectures, centres of academic excellence and research, publishing, poetry and writing that connects all parts of the county.

The new City of Literature was created after a compelling application by the Dinas Llên strategic partnership. The UNESCO designation brings together Aberystwyth and the wider county of Ceredigion to celebrate the centuries-old literary traditions of the area and its thriving bilingual cultural scene.

Professor Mererid Hopwood of the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies at Aberystwyth University and a member of the Dinas Llên partnership said: “As the first area in Wales to be recognised by the UNESCO Creative City network, the significance of the designation goes beyond Aberystwyth and the county of Ceredigion and on to a national and global stage.

“It’s an opportunity to reinforce the vibrant literary heritage we enjoy here as we share it with the world. We have a saying in Welsh that reminds us that winning a prize is when the work begins. We now look forward to taking on the responsibility that comes with this significant privilege.”

The Dinas Llên partnership was formed in 2021 to move forward a programme of research and local consultation and prepare the application for submission in March 2025.

The partnership comprises Aberystwyth Town Council, Aberystwyth University, Books Council of Wales, Ceredigion County Council, the National Library of Wales and University of Wales Trinity Saint David (including The Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, Wales Literature Exchange and Literature Across Frontiers).

Aberystwyth Ceredigion might not constitute a city in the traditional sense, but the area’s rich literary scene, universities and national literary institutions means it qualifies for a UNESCO Creative City designation.

Literature and creativity in many forms, and in both Welsh and English, are an integral part of everyday life here for people of all ages and backgrounds. Literature is at our feet on Aberystwyth Promenade, adorns the quay at Cardigan and the woodland trail in Llandre. Aberystwyth alone can claim a connection to over 300 poets and is the first Welsh town to employ a Town Poet.

Ceredigion is home to a high concentration of publishers, as well as to Welsh literary institutions of national and international importance including the National Library of Wales and the Books Council of Wales. The University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David is an international centre of excellence for Celtic Studies, and Aberystwyth University is world-renowned for its excellence in teaching and research in languages and literature, including Welsh, English and Creative Writing.

Through Wales Literature Exchange and Literature Across Frontiers we connect Wales to the world and share literature from Wales with new audiences through translation.

Aberystwyth Ceredigion joins other Creative Cities in recognising that creativity is a catalyst for sustainable development, focused on people, place and local communities.

Professor Hopwood added: “This Dinas Llên City of Literature designation from UNESCO is a recognition of the vibrancy of Aberystwyth and Ceredigion’s literary heritage. From Dafydd ap Gwilym to Dic Jones, from Caryl Lewis to Cynan Jones, from T H Parry Williams to Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch, this area has been, throughout the ages, a home to hundreds of poets and writers.

“Through their work and the work of the county’s libraries, university departments, schools, reading circles, bookshops, publishers and festivals, the Aberystwyth and Ceredigion area creates, lends, teaches, translates, reads, sells, publishes and celebrates literature.

“By becoming part of the UNESCO Cities of Literature network, we will now be able to make even more of this aspect of our cultural life and reap the benefits on the local, national and international stage.”

Aberystwyth Mayor Cllr Emlyn Jones said: “It’s fantastic that Aberystwyth Ceredigion has been awarded this status, putting our county on a worldwide stage and celebrating our distinctive cultural and literary heritage. Literature is for everyone, and we’ve now joined a global network of cities that have creativity rooted in their local communities to create a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.

“Literature and creativity help make Aberystwyth Ceredigion an amazing place to live, work, study and visit and we believe that being Wales’ first City of Literature will be a catalyst for further growth in the creative industries, benefit local businesses and help more people to discover us and our many stories.

“This designation belongs to everyone in Aberystwyth Ceredigion and there are so many opportunities to take part and share ideas – this is just the first step!”

First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan said: “Congratulations to Aberystwyth Ceredigion for becoming Wales’ first UNESCO Creative City and City of Literature.

“Wales is a land of creativity, made up of great authors, poets, singers and actors. Of course, many of these come from the Aberystwyth area and attended the university, and this announcement is testament to the vibrancy of the literary scene, in both Welsh and English, throughout the county.

“Achieving UNESCO City of Literature status is thoroughly deserved, and I am looking forward to seeing opportunities unfold and Wales’ new City of Literature flourish.”

UNESCO representatives Anna Nsubuga, UK Ambassador to UNESCO, Professor Anne Anderson, UK National Commission for UNESCO Chair, and James Ömer Bridge, Secretary -General of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, said: "Llongyfarchiadau/Congratulations to Aberystwyth Ceredigion on becoming Wales’ first UNESCO Creative City and City of Literature!

“This mark of global recognition shines a light on the vibrancy and strength of Wales’s bilingual literary culture and its contribution to creativity nationally and internationally.

“As part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Aberystwyth Ceredigion joins a community that promotes inclusion, sustainability, and innovation through culture and creativity.

“It demonstrates how local and international efforts can prioritise literature, helping to strengthen Wales and the UK’s cultural influence and their voice on the world stage."

Sharing her joy at the news on LinkedIn, Aberystwyth writer Imogen Davies said: "So pleased to hear that my hometown, Aberystwyth, has become Wales' first UNESCO City of Literature.

"Being from Aberystwyth, the third generation of my family born and raised in the town, the status of Dinas Llên speaks not only to me as a writer, but reflects part of my family history.

"It feels only right that my nana's trade as a bookbinder, hand sewing the spines of books for the National Library of Wales, as well as my own creative endeavours, are recognised as an essential part of the cultural fabric of Aberystwyth, and of Wale more generally. Llongyfarchiadau Aberystwyth!"

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “Congratulations to Aberystwyth on becoming the first place in Wales to receive this accolade. Aberystwyth and the wider area has so much to offer as a well-established centre of learning, culture and literature and richly deserves this recognition on the international stage.

“There is already much for Aberystwyth to be proud of and the award of City of Literature status will help bring tourism and boost the local economy in the years to come.”

Though not a city, Aberystwyth as a university town and home to national institutions qualifies for this status.

Aberystwyth Ceredigion is characterised by a remarkable and unique convergence of literary and cultural institutions. The National Library of Wales, Wales’ only legal deposit library, holds the literary memory of the nation.

Aberystwyth University, established in1872, has always focused on the research, teaching and practice of literature. Its award-winning Aberystwyth Arts Centre offers a vibrant programme of cultural events.

The university’s Old College is undergoing a £50+M transformation to become a leading cultural centre in Wales.

The Books Council of Wales supports the publishing industry and promotes literature.

The University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David is an international centre of excellence for Celtic Studies. It hosts Wales Literature Exchange and Literature Across Frontiers – two initiatives supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Creative Wales facilitating international collaboration and learning in literature and translation.

Of equal importance are the myriad cultural activities that happen in the area’s theatres, town centres and community venues across the county.

According to a study commissioned for the bid, Aberystwyth Ceredigion is set to receive an economic boost of £2million from gaining the status.

To be approved as a City of Literature, cities need to meet a number of criteria set by UNESCO. Designated UNESCO Cities of Literature share similar characteristics:

• Quality, quantity and diversity of publishing in the city

• Quality and quantity of educational programmes focusing on domestic or foreign literature at primary, secondary and tertiary levels

• Literature, drama and/or poetry playing an important role in the city

• Hosting literary events and festivals which promote domestic and foreign literature

• Existence of libraries, bookstores and public or private cultural centres which preserve, promote and disseminate domestic and foreign literature

• Involvement by the publishing sector in translating literary works from diverse national languages and foreign literature

• Active involvement of traditional and new media in promoting literature and strengthening the market for literary products.

Cities submit bids to UNESCO to be designated a City of Literature. The designations are monitored and reviewed every four years by the organisation.

The designation has led to the launch of a Ceredigion County Council survey as part of a project exploring culture in Ceredigion.

Whether it’s music, food, festivals, language, or local traditions, culture means something different to everyone.

Ceredigion County Council’s survey, Culture: Opinion, Experience and Identity, aims to understand how people in Ceredigion experience culture in their everyday lives, and how everyone can be included.

Cllr Catrin M S Davies, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Customer Services, said: “We are celebrating that Aberystwyth has gained the status of a UNESCO City of Literature, and that has been given because of the rich literary, creative and cultural life of the town and county.

“But the extent of our culture is not literature and heritage alone – it includes engaging with each other in a coffee morning, reading group, art or craft gallery, chapel or church, on the touchline of a hockey game, going to see a play, concert or panto in a theatre, village hall or a school.

“It basically means our interaction with each other, to teach and enjoy. What do you want to do, what is missing, what do you need to persuade you out to a hall, school, library or exhibition?

“We want to hear from you. Each and every one of you!” The project, supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is part of efforts to celebrate and strengthen culture across Ceredigion.

Complete the online survey at https://shorturl.at/XAlUJ or download a paper copy at https://shorturl.at/wuDH1.

To receive it in a different format, call 01545 570881 or email [email protected].

You can also collect paper copies from local libraries or leisure centres, by calling 01545 570881 or emailing [email protected]. Please return paper copies to your local library or to Arts, Culture and the Welsh Language, Penmorfa County Council Hall, Aberaeron, Ceredigion SA46 0PA.

Get involved and keep up to date with Aberystwyth Ceredigion City of Literature at https://cityofliterature.wales/, on social media @AberystwythDinasLlen or search for ‘Aberystwyth City of Literature’.