City of Literature: Manchester, UK

The “City of Literature: Manchester, UK” course and study abroad program will use a comparative approach to focus on one international City of Literature (Manchester, UK) and how it mobilizes the literary arts and storytelling communities to promote sustainable urban development. We will explore their community-centric approach to programming, specifically its work with the Festival of Libraries, scheduled for June13th through June 16th, 2024, a four-day event that collaborates with local institutions to engage the public in the value of the commons and the power of literacy. Delegates and the executive team at Manchester City of Literature will be our hosts throughout our stay. They will steer our itinerary through the festival and additional events, including featured keynote speakers, all of it demonstrate for us their vibrant and collaborative literary and arts culture. As we anticipate our experiences abroad, our Spring 2024 on-campus component will examine how Seattle City of Literature engages local communities in efforts around sustainable urban development. Our comparative studies will help us determine what is working and what needs improvement in Seattle’s advocacy efforts. Our readings and assignments will prepare us to understand how local and global literary cultures collaborate with one another to foster a more equitable and developmentally sustainable place to live, work, and create. Our culminating project will be a group urban sustainability proposal, imagining an intersectional program that brings together the literary and storytelling communities with at least one other facet of urban life (transportation, housing, commerce, policing, etc.) to promote sustainable urban development. Ultimately, we will also explore how Cities of Literature organizations around the world advocate for sustainable development in their communities.