Since 2001, the label has been awarded annually by UNESCO to a city committed to promoting books and reading in all its forms and for all ages. This commitment was an obvious choice for Strasbourg, the birthplace of printing and witness to the passage of important figures in the world of literature over the centuries such as Johannes Gutenberg, Sebastian Brant, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Gustave Doré, Jean Arp and, or more recently, Tomi Ungerer.
Through this label, Strasbourg wished to highlight books and literature as vehicles of knowledge and tools for a better understanding of the self, the other, and the world, while respecting UNESCO’s commitments to fight against climate change and the rise of social inequalities.
The “Reading Our World” project focused on five axes and twenty-five programmes. Over the course of the year, more than 1,500 events and activities were held, both for local residents of all ages and for professionals. More than 400 partners were involved (ranging from the sport and childhood sector to bookshops, libraries and charities, to name but a few). Moreover, nineteen authors and illustrators have taken on the role of sponsors of this label. Among them was Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who was arrested and imprisoned in Algeria in November 2024, and for whom Strasbourg paid tribute at a ceremony in which he received – like all sponsors -the city’s medal in April 2025. It was also a way for the city to reiterate its commitment to defending freedom of expression and opposing all forms of censorship.
Strasbourg, a city at the crossroads of ideas and debate
Strasbourg invited its residents, artists and actors from all sectors to take part in societal and current debates, and to develop their media and information literacy.
Numerous meetings were held throughout the year. A rich programme was introduced in libraries, including the “Libraries in debate” event. Strasbourg residents were able to take part in a series of conferences entitled “Writing for law and justice”, organised by the University of Strasbourg, as well as in numerous meetings organised as part of the “Bibliothèques Idéales” programme.
All reading ambassadors and sponsors were involved in various meetings in schools, in extra-curricular establishments, in prisons, on “bookshop days”, at Emmaüs, and at the “When the arts meet books” seminar.
As part of this exceptional year, the University of Strasbourg’s European literary residency took the form of a Writers’ Academy for Human Rights in Strasbourg, bringing together renowned writers. They launched an appeal and wrote a collection reflecting on the threats to books and authors.
Strasbourg, a creative and poetic city
Strasbourg wished to highlight artistic expression in all forms, to stimulate a strong link between texts and other artistic forms such as illustration, and to encourage residents to mobilise their imagination and creative forces.
The “Reading Our World” programme also entailed a number of literary and artistic commissions, including the original “Azimut” typography – available for free – the exclusive design of five trams by illustrators, and the publication of a collection of texts entitled “Reading Our World”, co-written by the programme’s sponsors.
Another of the year’s major projects, the immersive performance art installation “Pages Blanches” (built by the Bruit du Frigo arts collective) attracted more than 45, 000 visitors to Strasbourg’s Place du Château throughout the summer.
Strasbourg, a city of empowerment and ecology
The city was committed to promoting access to reading, eco-responsible practices, with a particular focus on social inclusion and eco-responsibility, as well as promoting access to reading for all.
On one hand, the commitment of Strasbourg as an emancipating city has been illustrated by many workshops and meetings aimed at educating young people on media and information, as well as writing workshops dedicated to specific audiences such as refugees, migrants, the elderly and pregnant women.
An exceptional programme also highlighted the fight for gender equality through events such as the conference on violence against women, and the podcast “Lisons féministes” produced by Strasbourg-based company Seppia.
On the other hand, Strasbourg introduced a programme entitled “Reading for the Planet”, aimed at raising awareness among professionals and the general public on the environmental impact of the book chain.
One of the flagship projects of this programme was the “International meeting on Ecology for Books” organised in partnership with the University of Strasbourg and the Grand Est Region. This meeting took place in April 2025 and explored the links between ecology and the book chain through thirteen roundtables bringing together national and international experts. A few weeks prior, visitors and inhabitants of Strasbourg could also discover the ‘Book fresco’, a tool created by the Fontaine O Livres association to raise awareness on sustainable development issues among all actors in the book chain.
Strasbourg, city of refuge
The World Book Capital label was an opportunity for Strasbourg to reaffirm the importance of reading as a universal vector of peace and humanism, but also as a symbol of interculturality.
The “Reading Our World” programme highlighted the Emmaüs second-hand international book fair and the Goncourt Prize for prisoners. Strasbourg was also pleased to welcome Lebanese journalist Marwa Olleik as part of the city’s membership in the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN).
Another landmark project was “My Bag of Books”, developed in partnership with Libraries Without Borders, whose goal was to offer a selection of free books to 150 children who had recently arrived in France and were attending school in Strasbourg. An opportunity to (re)plant a taste for reading in these non-French-speaking children, but also to help them learn the language and discover their new country.
Strasbourg, a child-friendly city
A large number of activities have been organised for children in all their living and learning environments in order to transmit to young children and their families the love of reading.
Numerous initiatives and events have been introduced, including the training of early childhood professionals, the presence of books and cultural activities in the daily lives of toddlers, the “Enfantine”‘s festival and the “Reading Nights”, as well as other original events such as literary naps at the planetarium and the “Babies Read our world” cruises.
The city of Strasbourg also stays committed to increasing its support for local schools through projects aimed at renovating spaces, renewing furniture and updating collections, as well as projects aiming at structuring cross-disciplinary training between the national education authorities and the city running these mediation spaces.
A spotlight on booksellers
The city of Strasbourg was able to promote its actions and local actors at fairs and exhibitions, such as the London and Leipzig book fairs and the African Book Fair in Paris.
The city had a dedicated stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest book fairs in the world, in which the World Book Capital team also had the opportunity to present its projects and the long-term impact of the label.
For the very first time, a cottage dedicated to local publishing houses was set up in the heart of the city’s famous Christmas market, giving to a wide audience the opportunity to discover the richness and vitality of Strasbourg’s book publishing industry.
The Independent Bookshop Spring was also an opportunity to bring together publishers and artists through an original “Book Rally” project designed to highlight local bookshops.
Organised by the “Syndicat de la Librairie Française”, with strong support from the City of Strasbourg, the National Bookshop Meeting was a great success, bringing together more than 1,000 booksellers from all over France. It provided an opportunity to discuss and reflect on various topics such as the economics of bookshops, book ecology, second-hand books and the impact of artificial intelligence.
Finally, Strasbourg was honoured to welcome IPA members José Borghino (Secretary General) and Olivier Borie (Office and Programme Manager) at the UNESCO World Book Capital network meeting that took place in April 2025.
The end of a chapter, but not the end of the story
From the beginning, the “Reading Our World” project was built as a lever for lasting change for the city of Strasbourg and its surrounding area. Beyond the physical traces and symbols, many actions held this year are intended to be deployed over the medium and long term, in particular by consolidating the links between the actors involved in the project and by continuing to develop a powerful social and economic capital in the service of books.
Madam Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg, has expressed her support for the city of Rio de Janeiro, the successor of Strasbourg as UNESCO World Book Capital for 2025. The city of Strasbourg is also hoping to build on this success in the long term by signing up to the Creative City of Literature label. The story continues!
(Information summarised by Morgane Merlo, Events Management Assistant
“Strasbourg 2024 UNESCO World Book Capital”)