Iowa City has been selected as the host for the UNESCO Cities of Literature's 2018 annual meeting, which will be part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the city's designation as the third City of Literature in the world. At the 2017 meeting in Barcelona, member cities selected Iowa City, which is home to legendary independent bookstore Prairie Lights, to host the meeting.
"Given the growth trends of the network, we could have representatives from 30 or more cities with us in Iowa City next April," said City of Literature executive director John Kenyon. "This will offer our area a wonderful opportunity to show the rest of the world the things that make us a City of Literature, and a great way to celebrate our 10th year with the designation."
Iowa City is one of 20 UNESCO-designated Cities of Literature. Kenyon told Iowa Public Radio: "We are seen internationally as kind of a bright star in the literary sky. People are genuinely interested in coming to Iowa City and learning about what we have here."