IAF attended the signing ceremony of the UNESCO World Book Capital (WBC) Network charter in Wrocław, Poland on 22nd September. The WBC consisting of former, current and future World Book Capitals wants to use the experience and commitment of member cities to create joint projects and programmes supporting each WBC to be successful.
The WBC Network Charter was adopted by 15 cities: Accra, Antwerp, Athens, Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Incheon, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid, Montreal, Ljubljana, Strasbourg, Sharjah, Tbilisi, Turin and Wrocław.
Representatives from UNESCO, European and International Booksellers Federation, International Authors Forum, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and International Publishers Association were present during the signing ceremony.
Meetings of the network spanning two days took place at Wrocław Literature House to discuss ways of international cooperation between cities and partner institutions to raise public awareness around culture, books, literature and to enhance the ability of the network to better cope with global challenges.
One of the networks’ priorities is to increase mobility and visibility of creators such as authors and translators. The network also discussed solutions to improve its carbon footprint by encouraging sustainable practices.
IAF will continue to provide support to the WBC programme and its network to enhance cultural initiatives and programmes for authors around the world.
