Long known to locals as “Aber”, the town of Aberystwyth now has a new moniker for visitors and residents to utilise, after UNESCO designated the town Wales’ first City of Literature.
Despite Aberystwyth being a town, as opposed to a city, the new title feels fitting given the community on the Ceredigion coastline is the location of the National Library of Wales. The institution, opened in 1916 following a ceremony that featured King George V, is one of the great libraries of the world, holding over six million books and thousands of archival documents that, together, make up the collective memory of the Welsh nation.
The town is also home to its namesake university, which is the oldest in Wales, and boasts a thriving bilingual art and cultural scene. Both of these factors were cited in the town’s application as reasons the town warranted recognition from UNESCO, a body of the UN tasked with aiding international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture.
There are currently over 50 cities worldwide with City of Literature status, including Barcelona, Dublin and Seattle, which singles them out on the international stage as communities where the written word is ingrained into their identity. The City of Literature scheme is part of the wider UNESCO Creative Cities programme, recognising cities with connections to specific cultural elements, ranging from gastronomy to music.
Speaking about the awarding of the new title, Emlyn Jones, Mayor of Aberystwyth, said, ‘It’s fantastic that Aberystwyth Ceredigion has been awarded this status, putting our county on a worldwide stage and celebrating our distinctive cultural and literary heritage.’
‘Literature and creativity help make Aberystwyth Ceredigion an amazing place to live, work, study and visit and we believe that being Wales’ first City of Literature will be a catalyst for further growth in the creative industries, benefit local businesses and help more people to discover us and our many stories,’ the mayor added.
While Aberystwyth is now Wales' first UNESCO City of Literature, it is not the first destination in Wales to benefit from UNESCO status, with the country home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, two UNESCO Global Geoparks and one UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Learn more about great things to see and do in Aberystwyth, from curiosity shops to cliff railways.