Jason Steger writes in The Age in Australia that UNESCO has named Melbourne as its second City of Literature in response to bid a by the State Government of Victoria. (Edinburgh became the first in 2004.) Melbourne will have as its centrepiece the Centre for Books and Ideas at the State Library of Victoria.A budget of AUD10.4 million has been allocated this year for the new centre, with AUD3 million for the fit out and AUD7.2 million for the development of a program of events and activities. The centre is expected to open in the middle of next year.
The report says: 'The centre will provide a home for a variety of literature bodies, including the
Melbourne Writers Festival, the Victorian Writers Centre, the Emerging Writers Festival and the Australian Poetry Centre.'
Congratulations, Melbourne.
