You may or may not know that Melbourne is ‘a City of Literature’. I have no real way of predicting that since most of what I don’t know is common knowledge. In fact, Melbourne’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature is apparently “acknowledgment of the breadth, depth and vibrancy of the city’s literary culture”. That makes me happy. And so Melbourne boasts a variety of literary organisations and events to promote a culture of reading and engagement, events such as Writers Victoria, Express Media, the Australian Poetry Centre, the Melbourne Writers Festival and the Emerging Writers’ Festival.
I missed the lead-up to Melbourne’s accreditation and only realised the fact after I discovered the Wheeler Centre’s rich program of literary events. You can’t just claim the UNESCO title of City of Literature, you know – you have to do a serious submission. If you’re the kind of person who’s interested in these things, Melbourne’s City of Literature credentials can be read in full here. I usually don’t read the complete version of anything that looks like an official document. Continue reading
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