In Gdańsk, where ideals such as freedom, equality, dignity, and solidarity are woven into the city’s very fabric, we believe in strengthening these most values by responsible use of words.

A reading society is a better society. Advancing literature and promoting readership builds an engaged civic society (sensitive to others, nurturing democracy), develops critical faculties – tools essential in a time of post-truth and artificial intelligence – and teaches how to use language in a conscious and non-harmful way. Being responsible for words, we also want to commemorate the late Mayor of Gdańsk, Paweł Adamowicz, murdered in 2019 as a result of a propaganda attack.

In accordance with the UCCN Mission Statement, Gdańsk plans to develop broader opportunities for writers and editors, improve access to literature for marginalized and vulnerable groups and individuals, as well as to integrate a long-term plan for incorporating literature into local strategies.

Preparations for joining the Creative Cities Network began in Gdańsk several years ago. In recognition of the city and its people’s achievements in the field of literature, in the autumn of 2021, we were encouraged by the Network’s member cities, Vilnius and Krakow, to engage in the process. In the invitation letters, our partners highlighted the significance of distinguished authors from Gdańsk, as well as local events, independent entities, and institutions. In December 2021, the Mayor of Gdańsk appointed a special representative for the program. Subsequently, a widescale public consultations (8 meetings, over 140 participants) were conducted that engaged writers, librarians, publishers, organizers of literary life: representatives of the private sector, civil society, and academia. Sociological research of the literary scene of Gdańsk and Tricity was also initiated.

To facilitate the preparatory work and promote artistic and social programs, in May 2022, the Mayor of Gdańsk allocated the former Russian House at 35 Długa Street as the headquarters of the Gdańsk City of Literature Project regular activities have been taking place in this venue since November 2022.

Literary portal

Many challenges in the literary field stem from the crisis of the current publishing model; the decline of the literary press, together with the lack of opportunities for creating quality publications, poses another serious problem. To address this issue, a new literary portal was launched in 2022. The portal, which hires professional editors, is dedicated to the literature of Tricity, and its development is one of the city’s creative priorities in the coming years.

The City of Literature (miastoliteratury.com) is an online magazine focused on the local culture, its prominent figures, and literary events. It co-creates, integrates, and comments on the literary life of Gdańsk, giving voice to artists, translators, and critics related to Tricity. As the magazine offers remuneration to the authors, it also functions as an objective financial support mechanism. The pieces include texts on current affairs, critical analyses, essays, and reviews, helping to build the narrative of literary Gdańsk. For cultural programmers, it serves as a new site for promotion thanks to a cultural calendar that helps to build audiences for the events. Before it was initiated in 2022, the project was consulted with the literary community (institutions, publishers, authors, and associations) to better answer its needs. Since then, it has published around 100 pieces by almost 50 authors, including critical texts, essays, columns, interviews, and literary works (prose and poetry).

House of Literature

Planning its accession to the Creative Cities Network, Gdańsk has decided to allocate the 17th-century orphanage – one of the most interesting social buildings and one of the few that have survived the destruction of the city by the Soviet Army – for the needs of the future House of Literature Renovation of this unique edifice and the process of adapting it to its new cultural and tourist function are already underway and expected to be concluded by 2027. It will host a permanent exhibition dedicated to Gdańsk’s literary traditions and the city’s literary archive. The international residency program will be based there. The House will be an interdisciplinary enterprise, helping to build synergies between literature and other arts, with special emphasis on cooperation between professionals from different fields.