Kerala also announced that June 23 will be celebrated annually as 'City of Literature' Day in Kozhikode. 

• In October 2023, UNESCO announced Kozhikode as India's first UNESCO 'City of Literature' and placed it under the literary category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

About Kozhikode

• Location: Kozhikode or Calicut is located on the Malabar coast.
  • The term "calico," a fine hand-woven cotton cloth, is believed to be derived from Calicut.
• History:
  • Ruler: In the medieval Age, it was ruled by the Samoothiris (Zamorins). 
  • City of Spices: Traded in spices like black pepper and cardamom with Jews, Arabs, Phoenicians, and Chinese for more than 500 years.
  • Foreign travellers: 
    • Ibn Battuta (author of Rihla) visited the city in the 14th Century. 
    • Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama and Persian ambassador Abdur Razzaq visited the city in the fifteenth century. 
• Contemporary significance:
  • It has a robust literary foundation with over 500 libraries and more than 70 publishers. 
  • It also boasts a high level of literary education.
  • In 2012 it was given the tag of “City of Sculptures” (Shilpa Nagaram) because of the various architectural sculptures located in various parts of the city.