Kozhikode: A logo created for ‘Kozhikode Literary City’ by an art teacher from Thrissur, Shyam Sundar, has been approved by UNESCO. It has gained importance as Kozhikode became India's first 'City of Literature' recognised by the UN body.

The Kozhikode Literary City (Sahithya Nagaram) logo was selected through an online design competition organised by the Kozhikode Corporation. Shyam Sundar's design was chosen by a panel of judges, including Kerala Sahitya Akademi president K Satchidanandan and IIMK Kozhikode director Debashish Chatterjee, and later approved by UNESCO.

Reflecting on his creative process, Shyam shared to Mathrubhumi.com, "The concept of Literary City had been in my mind for a few days. I immersed myself in studying Kozhikode's history and literary significance, from Vasco da Gama's landing to local landmarks like Kallayi and Beypore."

He continued, "I wanted the logo to encapsulate Kozhikode's essence - the blend of sea, history, and literature. The logo features a ship on a pen nib, with the sea transforming into pages of a book and buildings resembling bookshelves."

After numerous sketches and revisions, Shyam finalised the design using a graphic design software. "Designing the Literary City logo and being part of Kozhikode's journey to become India's first City of Literature is a great honour," he expressed.

Shyam Sundar, a teacher at Mankada Government High School in Malappuram, has previously won prizes in various logo design competitions.