Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz announced the decision at the Artus Court, calling it “great joy” and a source of pride for those who worked on the bid.
City spokesperson Marta Formella said joining UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network opens new partnerships, wider promotion for local authors, illustrators and translators, access to residency programs, and participation in pilot initiatives that harness creativity.
The new House of Literature in Gdańsk—created from the 2022 “Gdańsk City of Literature” project—will run the UNESCO program. The winning application was authored by the institution’s director, Elżbieta Fołtyniak, Formella added.
The bid highlighted Gdańsk’s location and history, closely associated with freedom and solidarity, positioning the city as a natural hub for projects around free expression and civic, peaceful initiatives.
Formella pointed to the city’s activity in the ICORN network, including year-long scholarships granted in July to Cuban writers Javier L. Mora and Zulema Gutiérrez Lozano, as well as initiatives such as the Flying University of Human Rights and the Academy of Reportage at the European Solidarity Centre.
UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, founded in 2004, promotes cooperation among cities using the creative sector to drive sustainable development, sharing experience and best practices aligned with the 2030 Agenda.
Before the latest intake, the network spanned 350 cities across seven fields—Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music, Media Arts, and Crafts & Folk Art—and, for the first time this year, Architecture.
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Source: PAP