In October 2004 Edinburgh was formally named as the first UNESCO City of Literature following 12 months of work by Rachel Blanche to assist the Scottish organisers of the initiative in persuading UNESCO, the UN cultural body based in Paris, to adopt the title.
In October 2003 Rachel was commissioned by the Edinburgh World City of Literature group to find a path through the UNESCO bureaucracy, researching relevant policy directives and cultural programmes, with a view to introducing the Edinburgh initiative. Providing international representation for the initiative, Rachel also liaised with the UNESCO Secretariat and international delegations to present the initiative, gain endorsement and to develop the programme.
Working closely with a number of cultural, political and enterprise organisations in Edinburgh and Scotland, Rachel drafted a highly commended 200-page dossier making Edinburgh's case to UNESCO and underlining Edinburgh's status as a World City of Literature.
Rachel worked closely with UNESCO to legislate the core criteria for a global network of cities of literature with Edinburgh at the centre, drawing her role in establishing the initiative to a successful conclusion.
For more information about Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, visit the website at www.cityofliterature.com.
Capital books place in world pantheon , The Herald, 14 October 2004
Extract: “ Edinburgh was last night named as the world’s first City of Literature in a decision which could have a multi-million-pound spin-off for Scotland . Only hours after UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, received the capital’s proposal at a meeting of its executive committee, the leaders of the Edinburgh bid were privately informed of their success…Alexander Schislick, head of mission of the cultural wing of UNESCO said “ Edinburgh made a convincing case. Everyone thought it was a fantastic idea”… Rachel Blanche, who wrote much of the dossier stating the city’s case, said: “It is not saying that Edinburgh is the best; it is saying that together with a series of cities we can do something special together.”
Capital occasion as Edinburgh named the world’s first City of Literature , The Scotsman, 14 October 2004
Extract : “Edinburgh’s literary credentials were recognised last night when UNESCO announced that the Scottish capital would become the world’s first City of Literature…The Scottish Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson, who led the successful 20-strong Scottish delegation, said…”This is not only good news for Edinburgh but for Scotland as a whole. It confirms Scotland ’s position as a country of literary excellence”…The two volume dossier handed out to more than 180 UNESCO delegates contained a foreword by JK Rowling, among others. The first volume, We cultivate literature on a little oatmeal, takes its title from the Rev Sydney Smith’s proposed motto for the Edinburgh Review in 1802, and is printed in English and French. It traces Edinburgh ’s literary contribution from the first printing press in 1507 to the UK ’s best-selling crime writer Ian Rankin, and other modern writers such as Irvine Welsh, Muriel Spark and James Kelman, noting the last-named has been compared to Kafka, Joyce and Beckett.”
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