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Four of Edinburgh’s most celebrated writers: J K Rowling, Dame Muriel Spark, Ian Rankin, and Alexander McCall Smith, have given their support to Edinburgh’s ‘World City of Literature’ project, in the run-up to the bid being presented to UNESCO.

The project proposes that Edinburgh become the first, or inaugural, permanent ‘World City of Literature’, acting as a model for other cities around the world to celebrate their own literature and the life around books. The title would be bestowed by UNESCO under its Global Alliance Programme.

Dame Muriel Spark

J. K. Rowling, author of the massively successful Harry Potter series, said: ‘It’s impossible to live in Edinburgh without sensing its literary heritage everywhere. It seems eminently sensible to me to recognise this, along with the contemporary literary life here, with a permanent title that can inspire and inform other places around the world’.

Dame Muriel Spark, author of arguably Edinburgh's most famous novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, said: “The Edinburgh of my youth was always, by tradition considered the home of reason, tolerance, enlightenment and literature. This feeling persists. Edinburgh is a city of books and learning, open to all knowledge.”

Ian Rankin, author of the Rebus novels set in Edinburgh, and who is also on the committee behind the bid, said: “I feel part of a tradition which is as vibrant now as ever before. Edinburgh remains a city of the mind, a writer’s city.”

Alexander McCall Smith, author of the Precious Ramotswe novels, said: “I am delighted that the literary associations of this city might be internationally recognised in this way. Such recognition is, I think, deserved, as outside interest in Scottish literature is at as high a level as it ever has been.”

World City of Literature

In the great tradition of pioneering ideas in Scotland's history, the Edinburgh World City of Literature bid is an idea wholly generated and developed by the literary and publishing community within Edinburgh and Scotland itself. The Scottish Arts Council has seed-funded the project, and other key partners include the Scottish Publishers Association, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise, the National Library of Scotland, and other literary establishments, venues and places of learning. Author Ian Rankin and publisher Canongate are also on the committee, which is chaired by James Boyle, chair of Scotland’s newly-formed cultural commission.

First Minister

James Boyle said: “Edinburgh’s great heritage of the book and its contemporary literary life define it as a cultural capital for the ages. The idea of a formal designation came about because of the thought that Edinburgh, and indeed Scotland, should take on responsibility for the future development of a literary culture that has distinguished and enlightened our country’s past. We want to share the literary culture of our capital city with the world. Edinburgh is not proposed as the world city of literature but a world city of literature – one of many, we hope. The idea is not about competition but about aspiration and partnership.’

The First Minister, Jack McConnell, outlined his support for the project in his St Andrews Day Speech of 2003, and is also expected to endorse it within the dossier being presented to UNESCO. The formal proposal will be presented to UNESCO on 13 October this year, with accreditation possibly following as early as April 2005.

Edinburgh would then seek partners in developing a worldwide chain of cities of literature. All four authors backing the bid appeared at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival, which also supports the bid.

Apart from the annual Book Festival, the long standing literary tradition of the Scottish capital is celebrated at the city's own dedicated Writer's Museum, in Lawnmarket, off the Royal Mile. The museum is free to enter and has extensive materials on Scottish authors, principally focusing on Robert Burns, Sir and Robert Louis Stevenson.

More information available in Books, Arts & Culture