Why Kraków is UNESCO City of Literature?
CULTURAL CAPITAL OF POLAND AND EUROPEAN CITY OF CULTURE 2000
Kraków is the most readily recognisable Polish city – the country’s cultural capital and a city of literature and poetry. In 1978, following the decision by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Kraków was included on its first list of the most important sites.
Welcome to Kraków, UNESCO City of Literature!
In 2013, Kraków was the seventh city in the world to be granted the prestigious title of City of Literature, awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The title recognises Kraków’s heritage and contemporary literary potential, as well as serving as inspiration for further growth.
In 2016, Kraków developed an innovative programme bringing together public institutions, municipal cultural institutions and non-governmental organisations involved with literature. The Kraków UNESCO City of Literature programme, operated by KBF, is a pioneering venture on a national scale.
We have plenty to work with: Kraków is the cradle of Polish language and literature, it has been home to Poland’s most important writers, and it has been the melting pot of the most important literary trends across the ages. The first scriptoriums were founded in Kraków in the 11th century, and it was here that the first printed materials in Poland were produced, first in Latin and later also in Polish.
News
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Open Call for the Janina Katz Residency programme
The matron of the residency is Janina Katz (1939-2013), a Krakow-based writer, poet, and translator who was forced to leave Poland in 1969 due to anti-Semitic persecution. She spent the rest of her life in Copenhagen, where she won numerous prestigious literary awards and translated the works of Wisława Szymborska, Zbigniew Herbert, and Sławomir Mrożek, […] -
The 17th edition of the Conrad Festival has begun
The theme of the 17th Joseph Conrad International Literary Festival in Kraków is Radical Hope. ‘We hearken back to the concept coined by philosopher Jonathan Lear, who was inspired by the attitude of the Crow Native Americans. A radical form of hope was what enabled them to adapt to the new circumstances, as they experienced […] -
Rising stars of European prose and their translators
New voices and dramatic reading The CELA (Connecting Emerging Literary Artists) programme selects the most interesting representatives of new European prose. Thanks to the translations developed by talented translators, their works can be presented to readers at international literary events. During this year’s Conrad Festival, we will meet three emerging artists: Eliška Beranova from the […] -
Announcing the results of the call for writers for the CELA programme!
Olga Górska – resident of Radom. Author of Nie wszyscy pójdziemy do raju (Wydawnictwo Drzazgi, 2022). Winner of the Kraków UNESCO City of Literature Award and the Literary Prize of the City of Radom, participant of the Visegrad Literary Residency in 2024. Columnist and short story writer. She has a soft spot for The Lion […] -
Krakow UNESCO City of Literature hosts the 15th edition of Poetry Night at Potocki Palace
On Friday (10 October), Poetry Night participants will attend two meetings with authors. Nasim Łuczaj and Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe will talk to readers at 6:00 p.m. Nasim Łuczaj, a poet in residence at Wisława Szymborska’s apartment, lives between London, Glasgow and the Podkarpacie region. Tang, the volume of poetry she has been working on, brings […] -
Elzbieta Łapczyńska wins literary residency in Bucheon, South Korea!
The aim of the residency is to enable artists associated with Kraków to work on their personal literary projects. Elżbieta Łapczyńska was made famous by the Gdynia-nominated Mowy chleba and the aforementioned Bestiariusz nowohucki (Conrad Award, nominations for the Nike Literary Award, Paszport Polityki Award, Gdynia Literary Award and the Capital City of Warsaw Literary […] -
The Power of Free Speech. The 91st International PEN Federation Congress in Krakow
“Tokarczuk and Sonmez’s unusual and highly topical conversation will take place at a time when the world is in need of reflection. PEN members and lovers of literature will be able to listen to the thoughts of these two writers on the pressing challenges of our time. They will be joined by Margaret Atwood, whose […] -
Representatives of Kraków UNESCO City of Literature join Krokodil Festival in Belgrade
This year’s Krokodil Festival was held for the seventeenth time under the headline Under Pressure. The invited guests included authors from Serbia, Poland, Sweden and Czechia. The special event of the festival was the Poland in My Heart presentation dedicated to the contemporary Polish literary and artistic scene. One of the main guests of the […] -
Announcing the name of the Norwich-based author coming to Krakow as part of a residency programme for writers and translators!
Emily Barr, British author of young adult books will come to the City of Kings in September as part of a residency collaboration between five UNESCO Cities of Literature: Krakow, Barcelona, Quebec, Bucheon and Norwich. During her stay, she will work on a new literary project Emily Barr wrote eight young adult novels. The latest […] -
Janina Katz Literary Residency for Writers and Translators from Belarus and Ukraine – Call for Applications
About Janina Katz The residency is named after Janina Katz (1939–2013), a Kraków-born writer, poet, and translator who was forced to leave Poland in 1969 due to an anti-Semitic campaign. She spent the rest of her life in Copenhagen, where she won numerous prestigious literary awards. She also translated works by Wisława Szymborska, Zbigniew Herbert, […] -
Call for Applications: Seamus Heaney – Czesław Miłosz Writer in Residence Programme
About the Residency The Seamus Heaney – Czesław Miłosz Residency aims to support emerging writers, resident in Ireland, to further develop their work. It is intended that the Residency will also provide the basis for deepening further the many literary links between Ireland and Poland. As the first writer-in-residence of the Heaney-Milosz Residency, Alice Lyons […] -
Open call for the International Residency Program for writers!
Kraków UNESCO City of Literature announces the 2024 call for applications for the International Residency Program for writers. The Program is dedicated to all emerging writers, and poets having at least one published book working currently on a writing project and are willing to learn more about the Polish literary community. The Residency Program is […] -
UNESCO CITIES OF LITERATURE CELEBRATE THE DAWN OF POETIC SPRING ON WORLD POETRY DAY
UNESCO Creative Cities of Literature use creativity and culture to promote the social, economic and cultural development of their cities. In these times of global uncertainty, the network continues to connect literary communities across the world, forging bonds through the power of books, words and ideas. 19 Cities of Literature, including Granada, are running […] -
Translatorium mentoring programme
We know the winners of the third edition of the Translatorium mentoring programme! Each of them will have a unique opportunity work for six months on a translation under the guidance of an experienced and renowned mentor in their respective fields. The third edition of the programme (January to June 2024) is targeted to emerging […] -
We are announcing the programme of the 15th Conrad Festival
From October 23 to 29, writers from five continents will meet in Kraków to discuss the phenomenon of migration. The list of guests who will share their stories features, among others, Kateryna Babkina, Natasha Brown, Philippe Claudel, Inga Iwasiów, Georgi Gospodinov, Mikołaj Grynberg, Intan Paramadi The theme of the 15th Conrad Festival will be migrations. The organisers […] -
OPEN CALL FOR THE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM FOR WRITERS AND TRANSLATORS!
Kraków UNESCO City of Literature announces the 2023 call for applications for the International Residency Program for writers and translators. The Residency Program is realized by the Kraków Festival Office, operator of the Kraków UNESCO City of Literature program in partnership with the Villa Decius Institute for Culture. The Program is dedicated to all emerging […] -
UNESCO Cities of Literature celebrate creativity and togetherness on World Poetry Day
UNESCO Creative Cities of Literature use creativity and culture to promote the social, economic and cultural development of their cities. In these times of global uncertainty, the network continues to connect literary communities across the world, forging bonds through the power of books, words and ideas. Granada City of Literature in Spain leads the […]