In the world there are ideal cities for lovers of libraries, books, literature in general but. . What about writers? Are there cities in which an author has enough publishing outlets, libraries in which to make presentations, or artistic circles where he can nurture himself and spread your work? Of course.
In a world where everything is possible any of these best cities for writers it can be what Hollywood to an aspiring actor or Berlin to a street artist. In the case of some, the possibility of having a free house for being a writer is a reality that is hard to believe, while others demand looser pockets and one of them even allows the writer to sleep in a bookstore frequented by Hemingway.
Are we going on a tour?
Oslo
Norway is considered as the best country in the world to be a writer and its capital, Oslo, is the best representative of this reality. Among the reasons for such a design are the fixed salary that renowned authors receive until their retirement, the purchase by the Artistic Council of Norway of the first 1000 copies of any published book (which they digitize at the moment), an adult reading fee 100% or an income that allows the Norwegian population to deploy constant artistic and literary programs that contribute to the dissemination of culture. Aware of this phenomenon, the majority of renowned publishers around the world operate in the Nordic country.
hay-on-wye
In Wales there is a typical English village of old churches, jars of jam in vintage shops, sheep grazing in the surroundings and, also, nothing less than 30 bookstores for 1500 people, which makes this place the city with the most book stores per inhabitant in the world. All this without counting the so-called Honesty Libraries and its dozens of books on display in the middle of the street, the presence of literary cafes and the creation of one of the most famous literary events in the world, the Hay Festival that this small population has exported to countries like India, Cuba, Mexico and even Spain.
Dublin
The city of James Joyce is undoubtedly one of the best places to be a writer given his dedication to the world of letters. In the Irish capital, the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl runs tours of the taverns where Joyce drank, taxi drivers recite verses from Ulysses and the Dublin Writers Museum becomes one of the most precious oases for any author in the heart of which in 2010 was named as World Literature Heritage City by Unesco.
Paris
One the most literary cities in the world It was an inspiration mecca for writers such as Joye, Hemingway, Cortázar or Miller among many others, still retaining part of its charm today. From the more than 12 volumes of the National Library of France to Shakespeare & Co., the flagship library of "the lost generation" on whose upper floor writers (or tumbleweeds) can still stay the night in exchange for watching over the establishment, Paris It is a constant display of cultural events, second-hand shops (especially in the Latin Quarter) or literary cafes, the Bristot Philo or Philosophical Café in the Place de la Bastille being one of the most curious.
Chicago
Even though New York is best city in America to be a writer, lower incomes favor Chicago, a place to consider for writers who prefer to put down roots in the Midwest. Its charms include bookstores like Wickers or Harold Washington, literary cafes, a most attractive art scene and the presence of one of the most important literary festivals in the country, the Printers Row Lit Festival, more focused on the writers themselves than on books and whose attendance is 90 people per year. If on the other hand Chicago does not convince you, Detroit may be a good option since the city government decided give houses to whoever wants to be a writer in order to rekindle the city's cultural scene through the Write-a-House program. (With certain conditions to be met, of course).
These best cities for writers they bring together the best of any place dreamed of by an author: cultural environment, cafes where you can hang out with social gatherings, countless literary events and the certainty of knowing that there will always be people interested in continuing to read and meet new talents.
What is the city that most inspired you as a writer?
Hello Alberto.
Thank you for this curious and interesting article. I knew about the Hay Festival from having read about it some time ago. Do you know where in Spain it is celebrated and how often? Of other things I had no idea.
In a conference I attended years ago, the lecturer (an elderly Spanish professor at the University of Berlin) commented that in the capital of Germany young artists (painters, musicians, writers ...) were given free apartments to help them in his carrer. That could already happen in Spain. Unfortunately, here it is unthinkable. In addition, the culture never or almost never had a pull between us unlike what happens in other European countries.
A literary greeting from Oviedo.
Hello Alberto.
The Hay Festival in Spain is celebrated in Segovia every September, this year it is on the 22nd of that month.
Then there are several cities in Latin America where it is starting to celebrate: Cartagena de Indias, Santiago de Querétano in Mexico and this year it started in Havana. It has to be a cool festival.
And yes, in Spain I think we are light years away from writers being "given" apartments 🙁
A greeting!
PS: I would stick with Oslo, Hay-on-Wye and Paris.
Hello again, Alberto.
Thanks for the info. I would very much like to go to Segovia this year for that festival, although I don't think I can. You're right, it must be fine. I did not know that the Hay Festival was held in several Latin American cities.
By the way, the Honesty Libraries, is it because they are libraries from which you can take a book without any control and they trust you to return it?
A literary greeting and good luck.
Yes, they are like open-air bookstores that are run through donations.
Regards!
Okay. Thanks. How curious. Can you imagine a similar project in Spain? Here the books would be stolen and never heard from again. A literary greeting.
Cordial greetings, Alberto.
It surprises me that there are cities that stimulate their writers so much. In Chicago or Detroit that is recovering, I would long to do my literary exercise.
Thank you for keeping us informed on so many topics.
Curious article, indeed.
Too bad that Detroit doesn't accept non-American writers :-(. I'd go head over heels if I could. Although I understand that this city is one of the most dangerous in the United States.
Congratulations on the article. What we would love to do would be to rebuild one of those Spanish towns that are falling apart and transform it into a "town for writers." But it is only a dream. Of course, a very nice dream 🙂
A greeting.
Chicago does not sound bad but a lot of metropolis: p Hay-on-Wye looks calmer, but if choosing a place to change the literary environment is about I prefer Lauterbrunnen (Switzerland). I really like its landscapes (Those waterfalls!). Too bad I live in a country where Visa is needed for everything, and to discourage me more, Literature is not very appreciated either: c
Greetings.
Hello Helena.
Thank you for discovering us a new place. I've never heard of Lauterbrunnen and I love waterfalls.
Too bad that literature is not valued as it should be. Many people think, it gives me the feeling, that it is worth nothing or that it is worth little and they do not imagine how very wrong they are. Does it seem little to you what literature achieves? Apart from the money that moves, creates beauty, transmits it, makes us more cultured, more intelligent, makes us reflect, allows us to address issues from points of view that would never have occurred to us, amuses us, eliminates loneliness, accompanies moments of wait anywhere ...
A literary greeting. From Oviedo.
Anyone with a passion for writing would like to live in Oslo, but all places can be good for creating, and difficulties sometimes turn into exhilarating challenges.