Vancouver may soon be able to add some literary bragging rights to its Olympic ones. Margaret Reynolds, executive director of the Association of Book Publishers of B.C., and Alma Lee, founding artistic director of the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival, are spearheading a campaign to have Vancouver designated as the next UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) City of Literature.

“We have these huge numbers of writers, we have a strong publishing community, we have a large number of creative writing programs at the university level, we have readings and festivals and we have so much literary activity going on here,” Reynolds told the Straight by phone. “In my view we have something incredibly unique, which is a long history of oral tradition in the indigenous population. So I think we have a pretty decent chance of getting this designation. It doesn’t come with any money, but it comes with an enormous amount of prestige.”

To gain the UNESCO recognition, a city must show—among other things—that it has a strong publishing industry, a proven track record hosting literary events and festivals, and a set of public or private cultural centres devoted to preserving and promoting literature. The designation was launched in 2004, when Edinburgh became the first—and so far, the only—city to receive it. According to UNESCO, the distinction produces approximately $4.4 million a year for Edinburgh and $4.2 million for the rest of Scotland, with income from major new festivals, events, and conferences in the city, promoting both tourism and book sales.

“I think it would generate a lot of buzz, especially with [the] 2010 [Games] coming up,” said Reynolds, who hopes to submit a proposal to UNESCO by this summer. “There’s lots of potential for us to use that designation as a kind of, ‘Hello, we’re not just about sports and beautiful mountains, but we have a lively literary life here.’ ”

Reynolds and Lee will be chairing a public consultation about the proposal from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday (April 23) in the Vancouver Public Library’s Alice MacKay Room, as part of B.C. Book and Magazine Week, which kicks off Saturday (April 19).

A weeklong celebration of reading, writing, and publishing in the province, B.C. Book and Magazine Week will take place at various sites across the city and province, and will reflect the changing dynamic of the local scene. A Young Adult Literary Cabaret, Sunday (April 20), 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Alice MacKay Room, will feature readings by authors of books for young adults, including 21-year-old Jennifer Storm, author of Deadly Loyalties; Carrie Mac, award-winning author of The Beckoners and Pain and Wastings; and Christopher Millin, editor of the children’s literature magazine Crow Toes Quarterly and author of The King of Arugula.

The YA genre, explains Andrew Wooldridge, associate publisher of Orca Book Publishers, has developed a strong local presence, and is growing in popularity.

“I think a lot of authors have traditionally looked down their noses at writing for children, but I think the truth is often that it pays a lot better than writing for adults,” he told the Straight. The topics covered by the genre, he adds, have become deeper and more sophisticated. “Young adult fiction is as interesting as adult fiction, if not more so. And the books are becoming much more challenging. There’s a lot more to write about; it’s not just a kid with an eating disorder—there’s a lot more there.” Examples include Katherine Holubitsky’s Tweaked, about a teen dealing with his brother’s crystal-meth addiction, and Mac’s Charmed, about a young girl lured into prostitution.

Also worth checking out will be the Main Street Literary Tour, next Thursday (April 24) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Guided by novelist Michael V. Smith and poet Elizabeth Bachinsky, guests will head out from Rhizome Café to various Main Street artist hot spots for author readings and other literary events.

Aspiring writers shouldn’t miss the free editorial consultations taking place in the VPL Alice MacKay Room, April 20 (Sunday) from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees will receive 10-minute consultations with members of the B.C. chapter of the Editors’ Association of Canada. Pre-register by e-mailing info@bcbookandmagazineweek.com with “editorial consultation” in the subject line.

For more details about these and other events, visit www.bcbookandmagazineweek.com/.