To celebrate International Youth Day 2024, Nottingham City of Literature is bringing together young literary minds from around the world. We’re hosting two exclusive online roundtable events, bringing together emerging artists from the global UNESCO Cities of Literature network. These virtual discussions will take place on:
- Saturday, 10th August at 10:45 AM (BST)
- Monday, 12th August at 6:00 PM (BST)
Participants will share their creative journeys, discuss ongoing projects, and exchange insights with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds. We aim to foster cross-cultural dialogue and nurture a global network of rising literary stars.
Although these events are closed to the public, we invite you to explore the profiles of our featured young artists and their respective Cities of Literature here. Discover the fresh voices shaping the future of literature across the globe.
You are also very welcome to join us at Nottingham Central Library from 12-4pm on Saturday 10th August, where our Youth Advisory Board have put together a treat of a day for young creatives in Nottingham. Follow the link to check out the full programme and book your free tickets.
Join us in celebrating the power of youth creativity and the unifying force of literature!
Exeter City of Literature: Cami Schwartz Cruz
Exeter has an unbroken literary history dating back to the 10th century. The Exeter Book, an Anglo-Saxon anthology of poetry and riddles, is the largest known collection of Old English literature still in existence. In 2016, UNESCO recognised the book as one of the world’s principal cultural artefacts. It lives in Exeter Cathedral and has recently been digitised. Follow @exetercityoflit for more updates.
What about the present day? Meet Cami Schwartz Cruz (she/her), a 17-year-old who was born in Mexico and raised in various parts of the world: Colombia, Mexico City and England. She strives every day to be a creative instigator who shapes the world with all the knowledge, experiences, and insights she gains from her environment.
Melbourne City of Literature: Selina Moir-Wilson
Melbourne was the second UNESCO City of Literature, and the first in Australia! It is home to Australia’s oldest public library, The State Library of Victoria, which was opened in 1854. Melbourne’s history doesn’t just lie in the literary world, but also in workers rights, being the first place in the world to win the 8-hour workday! A group of Melbourne stonemasons won it in 1856, and this had a huge impact on workers’ rights movements worldwide. Follow @melcityoflit to find out more.
Selina Moir-Wilson (he/they) is a writer, editor and comics maker living in Naarm/Melbourne. They are also the editor-in-chief of Australian youth literary journal Voiceworks. Follow @pr1nce_snufkin on Instagram for more.
Quebec City of Literature: Lauriane Charbonneau
Quebec is a city immersed in literary history and became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017. Several writers, including H.P. Lovecraft and Charles Dickens have found inspiration in the city, and the city itself has existed in literature since its founding by Samuel de Champlain. A fun fact about the city is that there are 30 stairways in the city, most of them between Lower Town and Upper Town. Follow @qcvillelitterature on Instagram and Facebook to find out more.
A Performance graduate and a member of Diffusion Spoken Word Québec, Lauriane Charbonneau (they/them) is a self-proclaimed “do-all artist.” As a playwright, a poet, a stage director, and an actor, their art pleas for the revolution as well as for the construction of a strong and caring arts community. Lauriane explores their relationship to gender through drag and performance. Follow @mouton_mourtarde and @lauriane.charbonneau on Instagram and Facebook for more.
Reykjavik City of Literature: Steinunn Kristín Guðnadóttir
Reykjavik became a City of Literature in 2011, renowned for the medieval Icelandic manuscripts that are preserved there. These include the Eddaic poems and the Sagas of the Icelanders, both of which make up a small part of the nation’s literary heritage. Most of the nation’s authors live and work in Reykjavik, being the only city in Iceland. In fact, 10% of Reykjavik’s population has published a book! Follow Reykjavík Bókmenntaborg UNESCO on Facebook for more updates.
Steinunn Kristín Guðnadóttir (she/her) has a dual honours degree in English and French Studies BA. She currently works as an assistant teacher of Icelandic as a foreign language. She writes poetry and prose by herself and is part of the Icelandic writers collective Yrkjur that hosts various literary events in Reykjavík, Iceland.
Seattle City of Literature: Charlotte “Lottie” Soliven
Seattle became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017. The land occupied by the city has been home to storytellers for thousands of years, the Duwamish and Coast Salish predating the white settlement. An interesting fact about the city is that it is home to octopus! The giant pacific octopus are the largest in the world, and each year the Seattle Aquarium is permitted to collect a designated number of them. They are used to educate guests to the aquarium before being returned to wherever they were collected from. Follow @seattlecityoflit for more.
Lottie Soliven (she/her) is a high school Junior in the greater Seattle area. In her sixteen years of living her greatest moment is opening for the author Rick Riordan’s book tour with her poem Four Square. She spends many hours insisting poetry is cool to kids at Camp Yesler and her high school peers. Most recently she founded the Liberty High School Poetry Society. Her continued love for the art form has led her to meet with others who are equally as passionate though the Seattle Youth Poetry Fellowship.
Vilnius City of Literature: Teresė Katkutė
One day Grand Duke Gediminas, ruler of Lithuania from 1316 to 1341, went hunting in the forest of Šventaragis’ Valley. Before Gediminas realized how late it was getting, night fell, and he had to spend the night in the forest. During the night he dreamt about a large wolf in iron armour howling with a voice of a hundred wolves on a nearby hill. Gediminas woke up from his sleep and said to his priest Lizdeika: “I have dreamt a strange dream”, describing everything that had happened in his dream. Lizdeika was the chief pagan priest. He said: “Grand Duke, iron wolf means that the great capital will be located here and the howling of the wolf means that the sound of this capital will be heard all over the world”. Next day, Grand Duke Gediminas, immediately sent people and founded one castle in Šventaragis valley, and another on a high mountain nearby. And for those castles he gave the name Vilnius. So, if Lithuanians mention to you the iron wolf, they’re definitely talking about Vilnius.
Vilnius as a City of Literature is ensconced in a multicultural literary heritage. Books have been published in Vilnius in several languages since the 16th century, and the International Vilnius Book Fair is the largest in the Baltic States. Follow Vilnius UNESCO City of Literature on Facebook and @vilnius_city_of_literature Instagram for more updates.
Teresė Katkutė (she/her) was born in 2006. She writes a lot, and says: “I love the process and love, just love, creating. For a year, I went to a writing course. I love art, culture, humans and their little creations, pondering asked questions and questioning who asked them.”
Durban City of Literature: Abbigail Strachan, Kieran Aleka and Emily Naidoo
Durban, South Africa’s vibrant coastal city, was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017, joining the Creative Cities Network. This honour recognises Durban’s rich literary heritage and thriving contemporary scene, encompassing diverse languages and cultures. The city boasts a legacy of renowned writers, from Alan Paton to Gcina Mhlophe, and hosts numerous literary festivals, book fairs, and poetry events throughout the year. Durban’s literary landscape reflects its multicultural identity, with works in English, isiZulu, and other languages contributing to a dynamic and evolving literary tradition.
Abbigail Strachan (she/her) is 13 years old. When Abby was 11 she experienced joint pain. It took 2 years to find a diagnosis. Using the wind as an analogy Abby wrote a children’s rhyming book to explain auto immune diseases to evoke kindness and understanding.
Kieran Aleka (he/him) is from Ballito, South Africa. A typical teenage boy who loves writing adventure and sci-fi short stories. However not typical is the manner in which he writes! His first short story collection will be launched by the end of 2024.
Emily Naidoo (she/her) started writing her novel at the age of 14 and had it published at her Surprise 16th Birthday Book Launch. She was inspired to write her own novel after reading the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. Wanting to write a best-seller with a female protagonist, The Mystery of the Flaming Pentagon was born.
Dunedin City of Literature: Shima Jack
Dunedin, New Zealand’s southern gem, was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2014, becoming the first in the country to receive this prestigious title. Known for its rich literary heritage, Dunedin has been home to many celebrated writers, including Janet Frame, James K. Baxter, and Charles Brasch. The city’s compact layout and vibrant cultural scene foster a thriving literary community, with numerous bookshops, libraries, and the University of Otago contributing to its bookish atmosphere. Dunedin’s literary calendar is filled with events, festivals, and writers’ residencies, cementing its status as a hub for literary arts in the South Pacific.
Shima Jack (she/her) is a second-year University student at the University of Otago undertaking a dual degree in Zoology and English Literature. She is the founder and one of the coordinators of the Dunedin Youth Writers Association, and has been a guest editor of multiple editions of the associated writing anthology, “Minor Gospel”. In both 2021 and 2022 she placed first in the Secondary Schools Division of the Sargeson Short Story Prize.
Nottingham City of Literature: Andrew Tucker and Mia Hagues
Nottingham was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2015 in recognition of its rich literary heritage and vibrant contemporary scene. Our vision as Nottingham City of Literature is building better futures with words. We embrace literature in its broadest and
most glorious definition and seek to widen access to it so everyone can enjoy its power as a way to better understand each other and the world we live in, with a specific focus on empowering young people. Follow @nottmcityoflit for more updates.
Andrew Tucker (he/him) is a writer and arts administrator from Nottingham. He’s the Literary Editor at LeftLion magazine, and helps to run the yearly Young Creative Awards, as well as sitting on the board at Bromley House Library. His friends call him ‘certainly available for bookings’ and his enemies did not respond to our emails.
Mia Hagues (she/her) is a poet from Mansfield. She writes whenever something catches her eye, usually on the train back from open mics, and runs her own writing group The Right to Write Collective in schools. Mia believes that words are freedom, and her aim in everything is to make the writing industry more accessible to people. The poetry world is one Mia found by accident, and she wants to help others stumble across it too, even if it means passing around a QR code about Nottingham Poetry Festival after a workshop. Her open mics are a space for people to perform for the first time and Mia’s dream is to become a published poet one day.
Norwich City of Literature: Nyasha Parr
Norwich in the East of England was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2012, but before that has been a literary city for over 900 years. The city has been home to many notable writers, including Julian of Norwich, Max Sebald, and Anna Sewell. Julian of Norwich was the first ever woman to publish a book in English. Norwich is also home to the National Centre for Writing, committed to sharing the transformative power of stories.
Nyasha Parr (she/her) is the 2024 National Centre for Writing Young Norfolk Laureate. She won the Young Norfolk Writing Prize in 2023, has performed at Young Norwich Creative Awards and the Young Norfolk Writing Prize 2024. Nyasha is a Norwich-based creative who explores identity and sexuality through her poetry.
Dublin City of Literature: Aisling O’Leary and Orla Lucey
Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, was granted UNESCO City of Literature status in 2010. The city has historically been home to some true literary greats, including James Joyce, Seán O’Casey and Samuel Beckett, all of which have bridges in the city named in their honour. Today, Dublin is host to the richest literary prize in the world – the International Dublin Literary Award. Head over to @dublincityoflit to find out more.
A Love Lane exists in Dublin and is filled with love letters to this incredible city. The walls are adorned with ceramic tiles and words from famous writers.
Aisling O’Leary (she/her) is 16 about to start TY. She started writing at 9 starting with short stories. She enjoys reading fantasy and romance. She enjoys drama and is part of her school drama club. Aisling has a keen interest in classics which is where she gets some inspiration.
Orla Lucey (she/her) is 16 years old and has a keen interest in creative writing and literature and has been involved in some workshops with Fighting Words in Dublin which she enjoyed immensely. Through this, she has had the opportunity to work with playwrights and develop her own play through to seeing it performed on stage. She enjoys meeting like minded creative people and being part of a team.
Bremen City of Literature: Nele Miesner
Bremen in Germany is one of the newest UNESCO Cities of Literature, joining the network in 2023. The city is home to an impressive list of literary events and festivals, including the LitWo literary week, Poetry on the Road, Prime Time – Crime Time which is the oldest German crime literature festival, and The Galaxy of Books, a new book festival which aims to inspire children and young people.
Nele Miesner (she/her) grew up in Grasberg, near Bremen in 2000. She studied World Literature and Transnational Literary Studies in Göttingen and Bremen. She’s published her first texts in anthologies and the Literaturmagazin Bremen. She wrote the Letter to the Youth for Braga representing Bremen.
About International Youth Day
On the 17th of December 1999, the United Nations declared the 12th of August as ‘International Youth Day’. UNESCO believes that young people are essential to finding solutions to the issues in the world today. They must be given the opportunity to engage in social development, and be supported in this work by their communities.