"Within the state, Iowa City is the cultural epicenter, home to the University of Iowa and its famed Writers’ Workshop. The city was recently named a UNESCO City of Literature, one of only six in the world. And for good reason. There are readings, concerts and restaurants to rival much bigger metropolises. One popular student apartment complex is a converted Carnegie library. The city is vibrant, relevant and, yes, totally worth the trip."

In this Iowa City Guide by Emileigh Barnes Williams, a graduate of the University of Mississippi’s MFA program in poetry and the University of Iowa School of Journalism, Williams describes Iowa City as a fabulous literary town — home to the famed Iowa Writers’ Workshop, it’s also a UNESCO City of Literature and a place where students can live in a converted Carnegie library. Williams takes readers on a tour of our vibrant and entertaining city.

Read: Iowa City, IA Guide