Writers, publishers, and bookstore owners welcomed Jakarta’s successful bid to become a UNESCO City of Literature this week, with hopes that it will encourage city administrators to create a healthy literary ecosystem and solve age-old problems plaguing the book industry.

The capital was awarded the title alongside 40 other cities from 29 countries on Monday, placing it in the United Nations agency’s Creative Cities Network that recognizes creativity as a major factor in urban development. The cities in the network promote their local creative scene and conform to UNESCO’s goal of fostering cultural diversity.

“Hopefully, Jakarta can establish cooperation with [other] cities on sustainable urban development,” said Indonesia's permanent delegation to UNESCO, Ismunandar, on Thursday.

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by Nur Janti (The Jakarta Post)

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