Wales’ First UNESCO City of Literature
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On 31 October 2025, Aberystwyth Ceredigion became Wales’ first UNESCO City of Literature — the sixth place in the United Kingdom to receive the designation, joining a global network of 350 Creative Cities recognised for excellence in creative fields. The announcement was made simultaneously with UNESCO’s wider Creative Cities Network designations for that year.
The designation was awarded to Aberystwyth Ceredigion as a combined area rather than to the town alone — reflecting the literary infrastructure that spans the county, from the town’s institutions to its publishers, festivals and communities. It is a rare distinction for a place of this size, and one that reflects genuine depth rather than a promotional exercise.
Why Aberystwyth?
The case for Aberystwyth was built on institutions that have existed here for over a century. The National Library of Wales is one of six legal deposit libraries in the United Kingdom — it receives a copy of every book published in the country, and holds millions of manuscripts, maps, photographs and archives, many of them relating to Welsh language and culture. It opened in 1916 and remains one of the most significant research institutions in Wales.
Alongside it: the Books Council of Wales, based in Aberystwyth, which supports Welsh publishing across both languages; Aberystwyth University, with internationally regarded departments in Welsh, English, Creative Writing and Celtic Studies; and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, a dedicated research centre for the Celtic languages and literatures.
Aberystwyth also claims connections to over 300 poets and holds a remarkable distinction: it was the first Welsh town to employ a Town Poet, a civic role acknowledging the place of literature at the centre of community life.
Dinas Llên — The City of Literature Partnership
The UNESCO bid was led by the Dinas Llên partnership (the name means “Literature City” in Welsh), comprising Aberystwyth Town Council, Aberystwyth University, the Books Council of Wales, Ceredigion County Council, the National Library of Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The partnership coordinates events, cultural activities and development programmes to build on the designation.
Ceredigion is also home to a notably high concentration of publishers for its population — a deep-rooted publishing culture in both Welsh and English that underpins the literary economy of the area.
For Visitors
The UNESCO designation gives Aberystwyth a distinct identity that sets it apart from other Welsh seaside towns. If you are visiting with an interest in literature, language or culture, the following are the key stops:
National Library of Wales — open to the public for reading room access, regular exhibitions and events including talks, film screenings and concerts. On the hill above the town, ten minutes’ walk from the centre. Free entry to exhibitions.
Aberystwyth Arts Centre — on the university campus, one of the largest arts centres in Wales, with gallery spaces, a cinema, theatre programme, craft shop and a strong literary events strand.
Old College — the Gothic seafront building that was the founding home of the University of Wales, now undergoing restoration and reuse as a cultural and heritage centre.
Aberystwyth also has an active independent bookshop scene and a calendar of literary events throughout the year. The annual Aberystwyth Arts Centre Literature programme and events connected to the Hay Festival and Welsh literary calendar bring writers and readers to the town regularly.
The Welsh Language Dimension
A significant part of what makes the Aberystwyth City of Literature designation distinctive is its bilingual character. Welsh is spoken as a first language throughout much of Ceredigion, and Aberystwyth is one of the strongest Welsh-speaking towns in Wales. The literary heritage here is dual: a long tradition of Welsh-language poetry and prose running alongside an anglophone literary culture that has been shaped by the university, the National Library and the broader cultural life of the region.
Street signs are bilingual, public life operates in both languages, and many of the events and festivals associated with the City of Literature offer programming in Welsh as well as English. The Eisteddfod — Wales’s national festival of Welsh language and culture — has deep connections to the region and has been held in Ceredigion on multiple occasions.
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