CITIES OF LITERATURE

The United Nations has a long history of spotlighting youth and bringing issues surrounding and championed by young people to the attention of the global community. In December 1999, a recommendation that 12 August marked International Youth Day was passed by the General Assembly and what has followed has been twenty-five years of recognising the importance of young people.

 

In 2025 Cities of Literature from across the world took part in virtual and in-person events to celebrate young people and their contributions to society. The theme for 2025 was local Youth Actions for the Sustainable Development Goals with a particular focus on the essential role of local and regional governments. 

 

Iowa City of Literature celebrated International Youth Day with a series of social media messages to promote discussion. To mark International Youth Day 2025, Dunedin City of Literature was proud to commission a short film by Ajax Banstola (aged 11), host of podcast Factbeast on Dunedin’s OAR-FM, who considers how words and technology connect young people. Tukums City of Literature celebrated with events taking place at their local Youth Centre, where local youth learned more about their town through a fun Kahoot quiz, enjoyed a pancake-making session, and took part in a creative writing workshop with Guntis Tālers – a well-known local crime fiction author. Tālers shared stories from his youth, talked about his path to becoming a writer, and guided participants in creating their first detective story. The event aimed to inspire young people to discover the power of storytelling and their own creative voice.

 

Nottingham City of Literature’s Youth Advisory Board hosted a pop-up event in Victoria Centre. Attendees enjoyed a display of creative pieces from members of the board as well as submissions from the public. There were also multiple stands from Nottinghamshire-based creative organisations.