The Iowa City Press Citizen honored International Writing Program Director Christopher Merrill this new year, choosing him as to be Iowa City's Person of the Year. The designation came after Merrill's proposal to UNESCO (United Nationals Eduucational Scientific and Culutal Organization) prompted Iowa City to be named a UNESCO 'City of Literature.'

"The process involved much more than just finding out if Iowa City met the criteria, Merrill said. Those working on the project had to prove they were worthy of the designation. To meet that end, Merrill and his crew had to basically inventory every literary facet of Iowa City, including UI and its multiple writing programs, Iowa City's bookshops, historical monuments such as Poetry in Public and the literary walkway and the 160 to 180 literary public events hosted in Iowa City each year."