Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro has been designated by UNESCO as the World Book Capital for 2025, thanks to Rio’s rich literary heritage and proactive promotion of literature.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has designated Rio de Janeiro in Brazil as World Book Capital for 2025.

In a press statement, UNESCO says that along with the World Book Capital Advisory Committee, it commended Rio de Janeiro’s demonstration of the importance of its literary heritage. Rio’s clearly defined vision and action plan to promote literature, sustainable publishing and reading among young people tapping into digital technologies further pushed their decision.

“Books are vital vehicles to access, transmit and promote education, science, culture and information worldwide. Thanks to books, we keep ourselves informed, entertained and are able to better understand our world. This is why, each year UNESCO designates a World Book Capital. After Accra in 2023, and Strasbourg in 2024, I am pleased to announce the designation of Rio de Janeiro as World Book Capital for 2025,” says UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

The statement adds that this is the first time that a Portuguese-speaking city has been designated World Book Capital and that the celebrations would begin on April 23, 2025, on the occasion of the World Book and Copyright Day.

UNESCO says that in line with priorities expressed in the World Book Capital Charter, Rio de Janeiro conceives its project as having the ability to affect social change, through initiatives such as literacy, education and poverty eradication and bring sustainable economic benefit linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.