The Guardian: Hull has been chosen to be the UK's city of culture in 2017, beating three other shortlisted cities for the title.
The announcement was made in Westminster by the culture secretary, Maria Miller.
Hull was picked for the tourism boost ahead of Dundee, Swansea Bay, and Leicester.
Former deputy prime minister and Hull East MP John Prescott welcomed the announcement by tweeting: "It's happy hour again", a reference to the best known song of the Hull pop group the Housemartins.
The poetry of Philip Larkin, Hull university's notoriously grumpy librarian, formed a key part of the city's bid.
The bid also included the voices of immigrants, among them a Polish-born supermarket worker and an Albanian-born filling station attendant.
Hull's bid was delivered on two artist-designed bicycles, and promised a £15m programme with a cultural event every day of the year. This included an outdoor aerial spectacular honouring Larkin, built around his line "what will survive of us is love".
Larkin was born in Coventry, though he published most of his most famous work while living in Hull. Hull was birthplace of the anti-slavery campaigning MP William Wilberforce, who also figures in the plans.
Wednesday's announcement comes after months of claims and counterclaims from the rival cities and last-minute final pitches to the judges in Derry, which currently holds the city of culture crown.
The government first decided to create a UK city of culture every four years after Liverpool's tenure as the somewhat starrier European city of culture,brought the city an extra £753.8m.
Although Derry's year in the spotlight has been a critical success, and has brought crowds on to the streets for popular spectaculars such as the street theatre piece, The Return of Columcille, arguments have already started as to whether it was worth the money and the effort.
Sponsorship and income from ticket sales has been disappointing for many events; and what, if anything, the lasting legacy will be is debatable.
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