Kozhikode Corporation and KILA officials sign an agreement in Kozhikode on Wednesday.
\| Photo Credit: K. Ragesh

The Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) has joined hands with the Kozhikode Corporation to launch activities related to the Unesco ‘City of Literature’ here.

The UN body included Kozhikode, the first Indian city to get the honour, in its list on October 31, 2023. According to sources, though Kozhikode has been associated with some of the other ‘Cities of Literature’ across the world, it could organise very few unique events on its own in the past three years. Unesco reviews the tag every four years. If enough activities are not held, the city may lose the honour.

KILA had played a supportive role in securing the ‘City of Literature’ tag for Kozhikode, and the Corporation authorities have decided to work with the agency again to use its expertise to conceive innovative initiatives in the coming days. An agreement for the purpose was signed by Mayor O. Sadasivan and KILA Director-General N. Devidas on Wednesday (July 22, 2026). People such as A. Pradeepkumar, former MLA, Kozhikode North, and former Mayor Beena Philip, who attended the event, suggested that more activities be held in the city to highlight its heritage and history. Mr. Pradeepkumar said a project should be conceived to protect historical monuments in Kozhikode.

An office for the ‘City of Literature’ is functioning at the Corporation’s cultural centre at Anakkulam. People representing Kozhikode had earlier attended literature camps in other ‘Cities of Literature’. A ‘Creative Economy Fest’ and film exhibition have been held in Kozhikode too. The officials are now planning to take the Unesco branding to other cities across the country. It could open new possibilities. Steps will be taken to learn from the good models from other ‘Cities of Literature’. Since music, food, design, and architecture can also be linked with literature, the possibilities of a creative economy can be explored. This could also boost the tourism sector and the economy.

Mr. Devidas, meanwhile, said that while all the ongoing work could continue, more thematic projects would be taken up. Suggestions from people’s representatives, cultural activists, and writers would be invited. The cultural park proposed in the State Budget in memory of M.T. Vasudevan Nair could be linked with the ‘City of Literature’. Similarly, the contributions of other writers from the city too would be highlighted. “The new generation, the ‘Gen Z’, are not so keen on pursuing literature in the traditional format. We need to inculcate the habit of reading among them. Along with this, focus should also be on senior citizens and women and making public spaces inclusive for literary activities,” he added.

Published - July 22, 2026 08:10 pm IST