Nottingham City of Literature’s Youth Advisory Board has launched an exciting new initiative for young people to get involved with an international network of cities by inviting young writers aged 16-25, to connect with their counterparts around the world and now they’re asking you to apply, take part and join.
Each young writer is paired with a writer from another city as part of the penpal project, giving them the chance to share their work, make new friends or even just enjoy being part of this incredible network. All letters will be sent through their home City of Literature. Fifteen cities are participating in the project, from India to Australia. The full list of cities is: Norwich (UK), Bremen (Germany), Heidelberg (Germany), Iowa City (USA), Melbourne (Australia), Gdansk (Poland), Slemani (Iraq), Hobart (Tasmania, Australia), Lillehammer (Norway), Jakarta (Indonesia), Quebec City (Canada), Tukums (Latvia), Leeuwarden (Netherlands), Kozhikode (India) and Nottingham.
Mia Hagues, chair of the Youth Advisory Board and the creator of the project, said:
‘In Nottingham, we are so privileged to be connected to 62 other Cities of Literature. We wanted to bring that network to the young people of Nottingham and celebrate our young creative community on a global scale! I still can’t believe how many cities wanted to take part in this project. We’re giving young voices an international stage and it’s surreal!’
So if you’re a Nottingham-based young person with a passion for writing or you’re just interested in hearing what life is like in another City of Literature, apply today. The application form can be found on the Nottingham City of Literature website, under projects, ‘Talking Cities’.
You can find our more about Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature and their mission to build a better future with words at Nottinghamcityofliterature.com
Posted on 23 April 2026
