In understanding the importance of reading and writing skills, the cities of Bogota and Tartu have introduced initiatives that promote and support literacy development. As a UNESCO city of Literature since 2015, the Tartu in Fiction project supports the city’s passion for reading and learning, and encourages its citizens to actively search for new and stimulating material. The public library overlooking the river north of city centre is the home of the Tartu in Fiction database; a treasure trove of poems, books and extracts for people to explore. Furthermore, Bogota’s project took the concept of a library and placed it in community based and accessible locations. These mobile libraries, in parks and on public transport, create the idea of ‘literature-on-the-go’. Both cities actively support literature within their own establishments, and hope to encourage other countries to implement similar initiatives by actively promoting the importance of literacy development through international platforms.