by Michelle Leonforte | Aug 21, 2026 | Readers & Writers
Before Robin Hood: Finding the Man Behind the Sheriff of Nottingham Everyone knows the Sheriff of Nottingham. He is the authority waiting on the other side of the Robin Hood legend: the man with the soldiers, the castle, the law and, inevitably, an intense desire to... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Aug 6, 2026 | Quick Reads
Following on from our extremely popular The Next Page masterclass: ‘De-Mystifying the Publishing Industry’ one of our expert speakers, Frankie Edwards has generously provided us with some hints and tips for job applications and interviews, how to build... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Jul 17, 2026 | Tribute
I saw Tony last at the European Poetry Festival event at Nottingham Contemporary a few weeks ago. Afterwards we chatted outside and he was as friendly, as humble and as curious as ever. He was expressing his disappointment that Nottingham Poetry Society, which he’d... 
by Michelle Leonforte | May 29, 2026 | Quick Reads
Recently, I was humbled to be featured in an international journal celebrating Rabindranath Tagore – the first non-European Nobel Prize winner in Literature. It was a moment that made me reflect not only upon my own work as a writer, but upon the wider role... by Michelle Leonforte | May 13, 2026 | Quick Reads
Wonju City of Literature offers an opportunity for one writer from another UNESCO City of Literature to come to Wonju and stay at Toji Cultural Centre for eight weeks. Residency Call Details Closing Date of Applications: May 31 Announcement of Successful Recipient:... 
by Michelle Leonforte | May 6, 2026 | Quick Reads
Let’s get the obvious bit out of the way; people come to Heidelberg because it’s gorgeous. Especially that castle nestled into the lush green valley. But when I look at the castle, first mentioned in 1225, I think of Mark Twain because it’s the starting point to his... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Mar 20, 2026 | News & Press
World Poetry Day is on Saturday 21 March and UNESCO Creative Cities of Literature across the world will be celebrating together. World Poetry Day was adopted by UNESCO during their 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999, and the day has since been used to champion... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Mar 6, 2026 | Readers & Writers
In December 2024 I attended an event at the University of Nottingham to showcase research and projects from academics at Nottingham Trent and the University of Nottingham. One of the projects, created by Amy Twigger Holroyd, Fashion and Sustainability Professor at... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Feb 19, 2026 | News & Press
International Mother Language Day, which takes place annually on the 21st of February, aims to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity across the globe. The day has been internationally recognized since 1999, with UNESCO Cities of Literature all over... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Dec 11, 2025 | Research and History
I sometimes wonder: what would we be if libraries did not exist? More specifically, if the history of public libraries were to be different, would we still be able to read freely, to access knowledge, to create knowledge? Since finishing my Master’s dissertation –... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Oct 31, 2025 | News & Press
The 53 designated Creative Cities of Literature from 39 countries across the globe are delighted to welcome ten additional Cities of Literature to their literary family. Today UNESCO has announced the designation of 58 new Creative Cities in total across eight... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Oct 30, 2025 | Quick Reads
As the autumn slowly slides into Halloween, and all things pumpkin, my mind always turns to magic, folklore and other worldly stories. I’m currently reading Daughter of the Tarot by Clare Marchant. This made me want to delve a little deeper into tarot and... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Oct 9, 2025 | Quick Reads
I was very lucky to see Nottingham Playhouse’s The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse, written by Caroline Bird, with Maxine Peake as Mary Whitehouse and Samuel Barnett as everyone else. I’d heard of Mary Whitehouse prior to the show, but I wasn’t hugely familiar with... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Oct 9, 2025 | News & Press
Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature embraces a new chapter in its story as it welcomes a new Chair of the Board of Trustees, and a new Trustee. Dr. Nick Owen MBE joins Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature to take over the role of Chair during the ten year... 
by Michelle Leonforte | Sep 10, 2025 | Quick Reads
September heralds the start of back to school, back to university and the start of the autumn months. As the last of the summer evenings fade, quickly replaced by quieter evenings under a blanket, we’ve selected some snuggly September reads. Maybe you want to delve...