Future Library project

Last updated

The Future Library project (Norwegian: Framtidsbiblioteket) is a public artwork that aims to collect an original work by a popular writer every year from 2014 to 2114. The works will remain unread and unpublished until 2114. One thousand trees were specially planted for the project in the Nordmarka forest at its inception; [1] the 100 manuscripts will be printed in limited-edition anthologies using paper made from the trees. The Guardian has referred to it as "the world's most secretive library". [2]

Contents

History

The project was conceived by Katie Paterson during the summer of 2014. It is managed by the Future Library Trust and supported by the City of Oslo, Norway. It was produced for the Slow Space public art program and commissioned by Bjørvika Utvikling, the partly publicly owned corporation developing Bjørvika, Oslo's former container port. [3]

The completed manuscripts are held in a specially designed room at the Deichman Library (Oslo Public Library) in Bjørvika, Oslo, [4] [5] ; Katie Paterson worked with the architectural team to design this part of the library. [6] The 'Silent Room' where the manuscripts are kept is built using 100 layers of undulating, carved wood from the original trees felled to make way for the new trees planted in 2014, each layer with a glass drawer for the manuscript of the corresponding year; the room was first opened to the public in 2022. [7] [8] Although the collected works are on display, the manuscripts are not available for reading until the project completes in 2114.

One thousand certificates entitling the holder to the full 100-work anthology when published in 2114 are being sold by the artist's galleries: Ingleby Gallery (Edinburgh), James Cohan Gallery (New York) and Parafin (London). Initially sold for £625, the price increased to £800 in 2017 and subsequently higher. [9] [10] The certificates, double-sided and printed on hand-made paper (also made from the original trees felled for the project), depict a cross section of a tree with 100 tree-rings symbolising the time period for the project.

Contributors

The identity of each contributing author is announced yearly around October/November; they then submit their manuscripts to the collection in early summer the following year at a public 'handover ceremony' in the forest where the trees are growing. Contributors to the collection so far:

The Future Library Trust's committee of trustees make a new selection annually based on the criteria "outstanding contributions to literature or poetry, and for their work's ability to capture the imagination of this and future generations". [22] Umberto Eco and Tomas Tranströmer, both deceased as of 2016, were previously considered as potential contributors. All other authors approached by Paterson have accepted the invitation. [23]

Critical reception

The Future Library project has been generally met with interest and intrigue by the media, though it has attracted criticism from some for its emphasis on preventing readership between 2014 and 2114. [24] Writing for Flavorwire , Moze Halperin called the project "art whose intention is to exclude a few generations" and criticized the class exclusivity planned for the works even after they are released. [25]

Notes

One of the few details known about the books was revealed accidentally when David Mitchell stated that his book quotes the lyrics of "Here Comes the Sun", a song expected to enter the public domain in the late 21st century. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Atwood</span> Canadian writer (born 1939)

Margaret Eleanor Atwood is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight children's books, two graphic novels, and a number of small press editions of both poetry and fiction. Atwood has won numerous awards and honors for her writing, including two Booker Prizes, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Governor General's Award, the Franz Kafka Prize, Princess of Asturias Awards, and the National Book Critics and PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Awards. A number of her works have been adapted for film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munch Museum</span> Art museum in Oslo, Norway

Munch Museum, marketed as Munch since 2020, is an art museum in Bjørvika, Oslo, Norway dedicated to the life and works of the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.

The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize or Guardian Award was a literary award that annual recognised one fiction book written for children or young adults and published in the United Kingdom. It was conferred upon the author of the book by The Guardian newspaper, which established it in 1965 and inaugurated it in 1967. It was a lifetime award in that previous winners were not eligible. At least from 2000 the prize was £1,500. The prize was apparently discontinued after 2016, though no formal announcement appears to have been made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Mitchell (author)</span> English novelist and screenwriter (born 1969)

David Stephen Mitchell is an English novelist, television writer, and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sjón</span> Icelandic writer (born 1962)

Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson, known as Sjón, is an Icelandic poet, novelist, lyricist, and screenwriter. Sjón frequently collaborates with the singer Björk and has performed with The Sugarcubes as Johnny Triumph. His works have been translated into 30 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elif Shafak</span> Turkish novelist, essayist and womens rights activist (born 1971)

Elif Shafak is a Turkish-British novelist, essayist, public speaker, political scientist and activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bjørvika</span> Neighborhood in Oslo, Norway

Bjørvika is a neighborhood in the Sentrum borough of Oslo, Norway. The area is an inlet in the inner Oslofjord, situated between Gamlebyen and Akershus Fortress. It serves as an outlet for the river Akerselva. Since the 2000s, it has been undergoing urban redevelopment, being transformed from a container port. When completed, the Bjørvika neighborhood will be a new cultural and urban center in Oslo. The multi-purpose medium-rises of the Barcode Project dominates the skyline to the north; to the east the residential area of Sørenga is under construction. The National Opera is located at Bjørvika, and both the Oslo Public Library and the Munch/Stenersen museum are situated in this neighbourhood, the latter replacing the old Munch Museum in 2020.

Playback is an online Canadian film, broadcasting, and interactive media trade journal owned by Brunico Communications. It was previously published biweekly as a print magazine for the Canadian entertainment industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Festning Tunnel</span>

The Festning Tunnel is a motorway tunnel on European Route E18 in the city center of Oslo, Norway. The tunnel has two tubes, with three lanes in each. It runs from Bjørvika, under Akershus Fortress, The City Hall Square and Vika to Filipstad. The tunnel is 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) and −45 m (−148 ft) elevation at the deepest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bjørvika Tunnel</span> Immersed tunnel in Oslo, Norway

The Bjørvika Tunnel is a motorway immersed tunnel on European Route E18 in the city center of Oslo, Norway. The tunnel has two bores, with three lanes in each. In the west, it connects to the Festning Tunnel at Akershus Fortress and runs under the Bjørvika arm of the Oslofjord before ending in an intersection on the east shore, where it splits into Mosseveien (E18) and the Ekeberg Tunnel. The tunnel is 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) long, 675 meters of which run below sea level, and opened in September 2010. It was built by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration The Bjørvika Tunnel is part of the Opera Tunnel complex which is the name of the interconnected system of tunnels between Ryen and Filipstad. The Bjørvika Tunnel is the first immersed tunnel in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fjord City</span>

The Fjord City is an urban renewal project for the waterfront part of the centre of Oslo, Norway. The first redevelopment was at Aker Brygge during the 1980s. Bjørvika and Tjuvholmen followed up during the 2000s, while the remaining parts of the Port of Oslo will be developed in the 2010s. The port will be relocated to Sørhavna. The planning is performed by the Oslo Waterfront Planning Office. Major investments in the area include a new Central Railway Station, an already completed Oslo Opera House, and the commercial buildings in the Barcode Project. Several large cultural institutions will be moved to Bjørvika, including moving the Oseberg Ship, Oslo Public Library, and the Munch Museum. The main barrier between the city and the fjord will disappear when European Route E18 is relocated to the Bjørvika Tunnel.

HAV Eiendom AS is a stock-based company that is responsible for the urban redevelopment of the Bjørvika area of Oslo, Norway. Owned by the Oslo Port Authority, the former owner of the Bjørvika area, the company's goal is to "participate in the urban development of the Bjørvika area through development, rental, management, purchase and sale of real estate in the Bjørvika area". HAV Eiendom also has ownership interests in companies that run similar businesses and own 66 percent of Bjørvika Utvikling AS, which owns 100 percent of Bjørvika Infrastruktur AS. The company is also a minority owner of housing development in Bjørvika. The company was founded on 7 April 2003, in order to create a sustainable fjord city in Bjørvika and to make value for Oslo, the harbour, and society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oslo Public Library</span> Public library in Oslo, Norway

Oslo Public Library is the municipal public library serving Oslo, Norway, and is the country's first and largest library. It employs over 300 people and has over 20 branches throughout the city. Registered users may use the library every day, even when it is not staffed, from 7 am to 11 pm. It is also possible to borrow and return books when the library is not staffed. One of the most prized books in the library's collection is the Vulgate Bible of Aslak Bolt (1430–1450), Norway's only preserved liturgical handwritten manuscript from medieval times. The book itself is estimated to have been written around 1250. The head of the library from 2014 to 2016 was Kristin Danielsen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barcode Project</span> Office building precinct in Oslo, Norway

The Barcode Project is a section of the Bjørvika portion of the Fjord City redevelopment on former dock and industrial land in central Oslo. It consists of a row of new multi-purpose high-rise buildings, that was completed in 2016. The developer is marketing the project as "The Opera Quarter." There has been intense public debate about the height and shape of the buildings.

Alison Donnell is an academic, originally from the United Kingdom. She is Professor of Modern Literatures and Head of the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. She was previously Head of School of Literature and Languages at the University of Reading, where she also founded the research theme "Minority Identities: Rights and Representations". Her primary research field is anglophone postcolonial literature, and she has been published widely on Caribbean and Black British literature. Much of her academic work also focuses questions relating to gender and sexual identities and the intersections between feminism and postcolonialism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Paterson</span> Scottish artist

Katie Paterson is a Fife-based visual artist from Glasgow, Scotland, having previously lived and worked in Berlin whose artworks concern translation, distance, and scale. Paterson holds a BA from Edinburgh College of Art (2004) and an MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art (2007), she is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh (2013).

From Me Flows What You Call Time is a 90-page novella by David Mitchell completed in 2016 and not to be published until 2114. It is part of a series by artist Katie Paterson called Future Library project calling for contributions from popular writers for novels to be published in 2114. The title is taken from a piece of music by the Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, the title of which is in turn taken from the poem "Clear Blue Water" by Makoto Ōoka.

<i>The Testaments</i> 2019 novel by Margaret Atwood

The Testaments is a 2019 novel by Margaret Atwood. It is the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale (1985). The novel is set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale. It is narrated by Aunt Lydia, a character from the previous novel; Agnes, a young woman living in Gilead; and Daisy, a young woman living in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endangered Archives Programme</span> Funding programme and digital archive run by the British Library

The Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) is a funding programme and digital archive run by the British Library in London. It has the purpose of preserving cultural heritage where resources may be limited. Each year EAP awards grants to researchers to identify and preserve culturally important archives by digitising them in situ. The original archival material does not leave the country of origin, and projects often incorporate local training and career development. EAP focuses on material created before the mid twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bjørvika Line</span>

The Bjørvika Line is a tram line that runs through both Sentrum and Gamleby in Oslo. It opened as a rerouting of the Gamleby Line. The former route was closed down on the same day of this line's opening. It has two stops, Bjørvika and Middelalderparken. It runs along Dronning Eufemias gate and Bispegata, instead of through Schweigaards gate and Munkegata. It is served by lines 13 and 19. Line 13 operates between Bekkestua and Ljabru, while Line 19 operates between Majorstuen and Ljabru.

References

  1. ↑ "'Future Library' Reminds Us How Connected Books And The Environment Really Are". The Huffington Post. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-10-22. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  2. 1 2 Flood, Alison (2018-08-31). "Han Kang to bury next book for almost 100 years in Norwegian forest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2018-10-23. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  3. ↑ "Future Library – Framtidsbiblioteket – Katie Paterson". p. About. Archived from the original on 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  4. ↑ Thorpe, Vanessa (23 November 2014). "Reader offer: buy a Katie Paterson Future Library limited-edition print". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "In English". Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  6. ↑ "Creatives in profile – interview with Katie Paterson". nothingintherulebook. 2018-05-23. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  7. ↑ Prisco, Jacopo (2018-11-22). "Read Margaret Atwood's new novel... in 100 years". CNN Style. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  8. ↑ Goldsmith, Rosie (2022-06-14). "Future Library opens secret archive of unseen texts in Oslo". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  9. ↑ Thorpe, Vanessa (2014-11-23). "Reader offer: buy a Katie Paterson Future Library limited-edition print". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  10. ↑ "Future Library | Edition | Ingleby Gallery". www.inglebygallery.com. Archived from the original on 2015-08-17. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  11. ↑ Flood, Alison (2014-09-05). "Margaret Atwood's new work will remain unseen for a century". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  12. ↑ Alison Flood, Into the woods: Margaret Atwood reveals her Future Library book, Scribbler Moon Archived 2018-11-16 at the Wayback Machine , The Guardian, 27 May 2015
  13. ↑ Clarke, Patrick (31 May 2016). "David Mitchell buries manuscript for Future Library project". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Cowdrey, Katherine (14 October 2016). "Icelandic writer Sjón named next Future Library contributor". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  15. ↑ Hovind, Anne Beate. "Join us as Sjón presents his manuscript to Future Library". MailChimp. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  16. ↑ Flood, Alison (2017-10-27). "Elif Shafak joins Future Library, writing piece to be unveiled in 2114". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  17. ↑ "Future Library Upcoming Events". Archived from the original on 2018-02-21.
  18. ↑ Yonhap (2019-05-27). "Han Kang hands over book to Norway's Future Library project". The Korean Herald. Archived from the original on 2019-09-10. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
  19. ↑ Flood, Alison (2019-10-20). "Karl Ove Knausgaard's latest work to remain unseen until 2114". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  20. ↑ "'You'll have to die to get these texts': Ocean Vuong's next manuscript to be unveiled in 2114". the Guardian. 2020-08-19. Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  21. ↑ "'Tsitsi Dangarembga's next work won't be read by anyone until 2114". the Guardian. 2021-08-25. Archived from the original on 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  22. ↑ Mumford, Tracy (29 May 2015). "A library that won't be read for 100 years". www.mprnews.org. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  23. 1 2 Wood, Gaby (2017-01-13). "The Future Library: Why you face a big wait to read any of the books". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  24. ↑ Tiede, Maggie (2018-09-05). "Margaret Atwood, Han Kang, and more will bury their new novels for 100 years. What do you think about the Future Library Project?". Archived from the original on 2018-11-19. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  25. ↑ Halperin, Moze (2016-05-06). "John Malkovich's Silly Cognac-Based '100 Years' Project Raises Important Questions, Even If We'll Never See It". Flavorwire. Archived from the original on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.