On Thursday 25 September, Norwich UNESCO City of Literature launched its new five-year plan, ‘Writing the Future: Norwich UNESCO City of Literature 2025–30’ — a bold vision to make Norwich a city where reading, writing, and their lifelong benefits are championed and accessible to all.
Developed through over 80 consultations with creative education partners, Norwich City Council, bookshops, libraries, publishers, and others, the strategy will be delivered by the National Centre for Writing (based at Dragon Hall) with Norwich Business Improvement District, the University of East Anglia, Norwich City Council, and Norfolk County Council Library Services.
The strategy is built around four central priorities:
- To develop a city built on stories, where reading, writing and their lifelong benefits are nurtured for everyone, and a multitude of voices and perspectives are actively welcomed.
- To celebrate and raise the visibility of Norwich as a world-renowned centre of literary excellence, while driving an ambitious creative ecosystem where writers, readers, and creatives can thrive.
- For Norwich’s City of Literature status to be at the heart of local economic and social development and to galvanise partnerships, investment and placemaking agendas to support Norwich’s ambition to be the happiest, healthiest and most liveable city in the country.
- To build on Norwich’s international reputation as a literary powerhouse and, through the global Creative Cities Network, maximise the potential of the designation locally and on the world stage.
‘Writing the Future’ makes clear that success depends on collective action, with organisations and individuals working together to nurture a culture of reading and writing for pleasure. New initiatives announced include:
- The creation of a network of City of Literature Champions across Norwich to build on successful community-based reading and writing projects.
- The launch of a Norwich UNESCO City of Literature Creative Writing in the Community PhD with the University of East Anglia (UEA).
- A campaign to animate the city’s events and public spaces through partnerships with Norfolk Libraries, Norwich Business Improvement District, VisitNorwich and others.
- Driving inward investment to support Norwich’s ambition to be a city where communities are both happy and healthy.
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