Tukums was designated a UNESCO Creative Cities Network City of Literature in 2023, becoming the first UCCN member in Latvia. Since receiving the designation, the city has been working to further integrate culture and creativity into local development strategies and plans.

Tukums UNESCO City of Literature’s focus areas include introducing new literary elements and extra-curricular activities for schoolchildren and young people, establishing its first writers-in-residence programme, and taking literature beyond books by bringing local fairy tales, myths, and legends into the urban environment, parks, and forests.

The designation has created new opportunities for local writers and professionals locally and also connected them with the world through international projects, residencies, festivals and literary exchanges.