Town declared Wales' first Unesco City of Literature

BERYSTWYTH has been named Wales' first Unesco City of Literature.

- ELLIE GOSLEY

Aberystwyth seafront

The award recognises the town and the wider Ceredigion area for its contribution to the creative arts.

There are more than 50 cities around the world recognised by the United Nations education, science and culture body for their contribution to the world of letters. Others include Barcelona, Dublin, Seattle and Rio de Janeiro. They are all part of the broader Unesco Creative Cities group.

Wales' First Minister and the Welsh Secretary were among those who congratulated Aberystwyth on the honour, which followed an application by the Dinas Llên group, which means city of literature in Welsh.

The group said Aberystwyth has 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.

Their application cited both the town 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 member of the Dinas Llên partnership, said the accolade propelled Aberystwyth and Ceredigion onto a world stage.

She said: “As the first area in Wales to be recognised by the Unesco Creative City network, the significance of the designation announced today goes beyond Aberystwyth and the county of Ceredigion and on to a national and global stage.