Thursday, September 25, 2014

Future Library...100 Years in the Making

A forest has been planted in Norway, which will supply paper for a special anthology of books to be printed in one hundred years time. Between now and then, one writer every year will contribute a text, with the writings held in trust, unpublished, until 2114.
The texts will be held in a specially designed room in the New Public Deichmanske Library, Oslo. Tending the forest and ensuring its preservation for the 100-year duration of the artwork finds a conceptual counterpoint in the invitation extended to each writer: to conceive and produce a work in the hopes of finding a receptive reader in an unknown future. (http://www.katiepaterson.org/futurelibrary/)

"Our Biggest Authors Are Writing Novels — But You Won't Be Able to Read Them"

source:David Levesley @ mic.com


Canadian Margaret Atwood is the first author to submit  a novel.  She is not allowed to discuss the books contents or subject.  Each year she will be followed by a new author who, one by one for 100 years, will add a novel until the great reveal in 2114.  

Imagine that, being part of a project where some of the collaborators have not even been born yet.  The audience for these books  had also yet to be born.  The idea of trusting these works of fiction to unknown future caretakers is a wonderful one, somewhat noble and in my mind, somewhat risky.  After this generation has passed, will the next truly be motivated to keep the project going and protect both the forest and the works of fiction?  What will those distant readers think of our contemporary writers?  Time will tell.

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