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For centuries, Kraków has been an important intellectual centre of Europe, and the city of the first Polish libraries and printing houses. This is where masterpieces of literature were created and where outstanding word artists lived. Wisława Szymborska, Czesław Miłosz, Sławomir Mrożek and Stanisław Lem are only the best-known names of the contemporary poets and writers associated with the capital of Małopolska. When shaping their tourist image, many towns and cities in the world point to cultural heritage as their distinguishing feature. Kraków is no exception.

When developing the concept for the “Reading Małopolska” project, an ambitious goal was adopted from the very beginning: obtaining the title of the UNESCO City of Literature by Kraków. Therefore, a number of promotional activities were planned in Poland and abroad that would help the city to be granted this prestigious title. Large literary events and promotion on the Internet were the priorities.

Consequently, two international conferences were organised in Kraków: “Creative Cities and Regions — Challenges for Co-operation Among the UNESCO Cities of Literature” (October 2012) and “Writing Freedom” (May 2013). They were held parallel to the major literary festivals in Poland: the Conrad and Miłosz Festivals. The latter had as its participants almost 200 writers and freedom of speech activists from 50 countries. The literary heritage of Małopolska has also been presented during international literary festivals in Dublin, Prague, Lviv, Reykjavik, Berlin and Edinburgh.

The www.readingmalopolska.pl website, in turn, is a compendium of knowledge on the authors associated with the region of Małopolska. Particular attention should be paid to tourist routes in the footsteps of great writers, e.g. Jerzy Pilch, Stanisław Lem, Sławomir Mrożek, Czesław Miłosz, Jerzy Turowicz or the priest Józef Tischner, which have been marked out for Internet users. They are also based on the following themes: women, crime, Jewish literature, young literature and contemporary reportage. The website is compatible with mobile devices, so the users of tablets and Smartphones can use it when wandering around the city and the region.

“Reading Małopolska” is also promoted through a film entitled “View of Kraków” directed by Magdalena Piekorz. The main character of this documentary, Adam Zagajewski, who is one of the most recognisable Polish poets in the world, presents to the viewers his masters, his favourite places in Kraków and writers with whom he has made friends.

The main aim of the project was achieved — on October 21st, 2013, at the conference of UNESCO Creative Cities in Beijing, Kraków was granted the longed-for title and became the seventh (next to Edinburgh, Iowa City, Melbourne, Dublin, Norwich and Reykjavik) Creative City of Literature in the world. Such a high award brings great responsibility and motivation to undertake further actions. Plans have been already made to mark the literary addresses and routes, and to develop a mobile application and literary map of Kraków.