The making of the literary city: Edinburgh, Barcelona and Óbidos.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter interrogates the image of the 'literary city', in particular with the emergence of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and the title of 'City of Literature' (awarded since 2004). Considering the complex relationships between literature and place in global contexts, the first question to ask is: How is the literary city configured and which elements are important in its recognition? To try to answer this question, the chapter first delves into the manifold relationships between literature and the city before addressing some main issues in literary tourism and city marketing. Afterwards, by analysing three cases of UNESCO's Cities of Literature (namely, Edinburgh, Barcelona and Óbidos), configuring elements of the literary city are identified.