GOTHENBURG
FAST FACTS
The port city of Gothenburg is one of Europe’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas.
Gothenburg Book Fair is one of the world’s largest international book fairs designed for both the publishing industry and the public.
Gothenburg is Sweden’s largest university town, with 60,000 students and a master’s programme in literary composition.
Gothenburg has been a City of Refuge for persecuted writers and artists since 1996 and is proud of ICORN (International City of Refuge Network) author and 2015 Nobel Prize Winner Svetlana Alexievich, among other ICORN artists.
The Swedish Literature Bank’s editorial office is in Gothenburg, and has created a digital map showcasing literature in West Sweden.
BOOK FESTIVALS
Gothenburg Book Fair is the Nordic region’s largest media and cultural event, drawing 90,000 visitors annually. Designed for both the publishing industry and the general public, it is unique worldwide.
Angereds bokmässa is an annual local book fair, initiated by local immigrant writers. It is unique as a literary arena outside the city centre that promotes literature and poetry with suburban themes.
Göteborgs Poesifestival began in 1983 and has been organized by young poets from the city’s suburbs since 2017.
Göteborgs Romanfestival has been organised since 2017 and is an annual meeting place for readers and writers with a focus on the novel as an art form.
Merci Poesi (Göteborgs internationella Poesifestival) is an annual poetry festival held with an intercultural perspective and mixes poetry in different languages with music and conversation.
Bokdagar i Dalsland is one of Sweden's oldest and largest literature festivals.
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RESIDENCIES
Region Västra Götaland offers Literary Residency Grants, which include a one-month stay and invite applications for a total of nine residency grants, in five locations in Gothenburg and West Sweden.