Angoulême: City of Literature

Angoulême in France is UNESCO City of Literature since 2019. Gérard Desaphy, responsible for the City of Literature-projects, talked with Fiona Behr about Angoulêmes rich literary history, comics and urban haritage.

What makes Angoulême a City of Literature and since when does it have this title?

A UNESCO Creative City of Literature since 2019, Angoulême is recognised worldwide as the capital of comics. In our city, comics and, more broadly, visual art play a significant role in the lives of Angoulême’s residents, through internationally renowned events such as the International Comics Festival, well-established businesses, murals and numerous dedicated cultural venues.

A thriving ecosystem has thus developed around a community of nearly 350 artists, notably featuring the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image, an image campus and a major audiovisual hub focused on animated films and video games.

Which projects did your city submit for its application for the title City of Literature?

UNESCO’s action plans for Angoulême are developed in collaboration with all literary partners: local authorities, institutions dedicated to comics and the visual arts, associations, representatives of authors… Angoulême’s bid for 2019/2023 was based on nine key areas for the 9th art:

1. Facilitating an international dialogue on the comics industry

2. Sharing expertise in comics

3. Developing support for creative work

4. Protecting creative work on an international level

5. Strengthening social ties amongst young people through comics

6. Supporting creative work by female authors

7. Promoting creative work and heritage on an international scale

8. Facilitating access to university-level comics education

9. Shaping the city’s urban development through comics

What does it mean for your city to be part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities?

By joining the network, cities share best practices, establish partnerships centred on the cultural industries, and integrate culture into their urban development plans. It serves as a real springboard, enhancing their international appeal to economic stakeholders, skilled creative professionals, students and tourists. 

In which ways do you preserve your literary heritage while still encouraging innovative ideas?

All local partners share a common vision: that of a region which supports its artists and promotes its heritage, whilst innovating and developing international partnerships.
We must pay particular attention to the changes brought about by artificial intelligence, which raise key issues for artists: respect for copyright, the traceability of works, cultural diversity and the role of human creativity.
The City of Angoulême is preparing to adopt a charter setting out guidelines for the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence in artistic and cultural creation, as well as in the communications of our local authority and the partners it supports. Whilst AI is a formidable tool for assistance, exploration and experimentation, it cannot replace human creativity. For Angoulême, the international capital of comics and a UNESCO Creative City, this debate takes on a very special significance. We have a responsibility to keep pace with technological developments without compromising the values that underpin our work.

Which international relations emerged for your city after joining the Creative Cities Network? And what specific international projects have been initiated as a result?

Here are a few examples, amongst many inter-Creative Cities projects: A travelling residency across eight UNESCO Creative Cities, which resulted in a travel journal and a travelling exhibition. An author from Nanjing (China), Xiaolin, and an author from Angoulême, Benoît Hamet, travelled through Angoulême – France (Literature), Bilbao – Spain (Design), Fabriano – Italy (Crafts and Folk Arts), Beirut – Lebanon (Literature), Phuket – Thailand (Gastronomy), Nanjing – China (Literature), Gwangju – South Korea (Digital Arts), and Qingdao – China (Cinema), from January to April 2024.

The Francophonie and poetry are key focuses of our work. On the initiative of Angoulême and Québec, the Creative Cities of Literature are strengthening the cultural diversity of the sub-network by supporting African cities applying to join the RVCU. In 2025, Abuja (with Dublin), Conakry (with Angoulême and Québec), and Tangier thus joined the network.