MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY OF: WRITER'S CENTRE NORWICH

Writers' Centre Norwich is leading the city's bid to become a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) City of Literature.

The bid for accreditation, which will be formally submitted in May 2010, is being led in partnership with Arts Council England, East, University of East Anglia, Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council.

UNESCO City of Literature status, an accolade currently only held by three cities, would establish Norwich as part of the Creative Cities Network - a global alliance of culturally significant centres of excellence across a range of creative fields.

Chris Gribble, Chief Executive for Writers' Centre Norwich, said: 'We believe Norwich has a really strong case to become a UNESCO City of Literature, drawing on its rich literary heritage and its international reputation as a centre for both emerging and established writers.

'UNESCO status would benefit all writers in Norwich and the surrounding region by providing an international platform to engage with new audiences. There would be lots of exciting opportunities for writers to collaborate on projects and events not only in Norwich but also in the other UNESCO Cities of Literature such as Melbourne and Edinburgh.

'We'd also want to use this as a catalyst for new creative learning initiatives in our schools and to engage with our local communities in different ways. Ultimately, we believe this could be a milestone in the city's cultural development and we're very excited about the opportunities it offers.'

A decision on the bid should be made by the end of 2010.

Find out more about UNESCO Creative Cities Network here.

Visit the Writer's Centre website here.