World City of Literature
Our Story
Vancouver has grown to become one of the world’s most beautiful and vibrant cities with a strong literary heritage that reflects its diverse ethnic and indigenous populations. Our natural environment of mountains, sea, and coastlines has inspired writers who express the diversity of our cultures in all literary forms.
Vancouver is home to a community of talented award-winning writers and publishers and a dynamic book-selling community. Our universities and colleges provide the most respected creative writing and publishing programs in Canada.
The city celebrates its literary traditions by hosting international and community events that bring writers and publishers, from Vancouver and other countries, to an enthusiastic local public. An internationally acclaimed architect designed the Vancouver Public Library’s central branch, the site of Vancouver’s annual Word on the Street Festival.
Vancouver is ready to further enhance, celebrate, and contribute the richness of our cultures through our writing, publishing and literary community. Achieving the UNESCO World City of Literature designation for Vancouver could be a catalyst to excite new literary undertakings.
Our Interests
Our common interests are to recognize and celebrate our writers and our publishing contributions, encourage our culturally diverse literary communities to continue to contribute to the world of literature, excite interest in reading, writing, literary activities, and world literacy, and stimulate our community growth by demonstrating Vancouver is a world city of literature.
Our Ideas
contributions for children and families
creating scholarships for young writers with winning entries published in an anthology.
creating culturally, geographically, and language specific programs to encourage new writers.
creating and supporting literary initiatives that promote our culturally diverse writers.
encouraging our publishers to publish in multiple languages.
providing easy access to books through community groups where people can read about topics of interest to them, in English and in other languages.
encouraging book clubs in daycare centres, pre-schools, and elementary and high schools.
creating book clubs for parents to help increase their literacy and encourage a culture of reading in their homes.
contributions for the community
including poetry as a form of public art displayed throughout the City.
creating “Poetry in the Park” and Poetry Walks or Reading Walks, like the Alan Twigg’s literary walk.
continuing to highlight and support the growth of events like the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival and Word on the Street.
collaborating to create more literary events in the City including an annual two week Literary Celebration.
promoting the celebration of writers in cultural festivals, for instance celebrating Japanese Canadian writers at the Powell Street Festival.
publishing a Calendar of Literary Events.
contributions for visitors
placing books by our authors in our hotel rooms for purchase.
working with interest groups in the wine, food, hospitality and adventure industries to create ideas and experiences.
promoting literary events in Vancouver with travel agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and South Africa.
developing and promoting a Writer’s Retreat Guesthouse.
determining how our literary resources and community can contribute to the interests of 2010 Legacies Now.
contributions for the world
establishing literary exchanges between writers in Vancouver and writers in other international literary centres.
exporting our talent to contribute to creating successful literary festivals in other parts of the world.
participating in UNESCO World City of Literature events, collaborating with the World Cities of Literature network, and working with other cities with strong literary foundations to contribute to building a strong global literary community.
contributions for the future
creating a communication centre at www.worldcityofliterature.com showcasing Vancouver’s diverse literary activities to the world, and providing a place where other world cities can come together to share ideas and experiences.
Story by Alma Lee
Story presented by Book Warehouse