The Library Collecting the Books of Tomorrow

There are classic books – works that stand the test of time, touching the hearts of readers across the ages. And there are contemporary hits – books that really capture the zeitgeist, and flare in the moment.

And then there are books that are somewhere in between. Books that are already written, woven out of the collective cultural fabric of the here and now, but which will not be read for a hundred years. This is what the Future Library in Oslo, Norway is all about – creating a sort of literary time capsule, preserving the works of great authors for generations to come.

If this sounds a little strange, you’re not alone. It seems counterintuitive to create books that no one alive today – or at least very few people – will ever read. So what exactly is going on here?

The Future Library Project

In Norwegian, it’s called the Framtidsbiblioteket. In English, it’s The Future Library. This is the name of a project that began nine years ago when Katie Paterson decided to do something remarkable.

Katie, an artist from across the North Sea in Scotland, wanted to create something that emphasized “time and longevity”, and reflected the human need for “hope and rituals”. To do this, she would bring together 100 books – one for each year in a century – and she would keep them locked away until the year 2114.

When this magical vault is unlocked, unseen works of 100 authors will be released to the world. Some will be fresh and new, works penned just a year or two before by still-living authors. Others will be the voices of writers who have long since left the world of the living behind. All of these works, all of these words, ideas, and images, will be released to readers at the same time. This is part of the magic of the project.

A Growing List of Incredible Authors

As of 2024, the Future Library is ten years old. So with nine decades left on the clock, which authors have already donated work to the project?

2014 – Margaret Atwood

The first author to feature in the project was Margaret Atwood, whose The Handmaid’s Tale made the Canadian author a worldwide sensation.

2015 – David Mitchell

Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas is a multi-award-winning work, and the English writer is a worthy addition to the library.

2016 – Sjón

Icelandic novelist Sjón is a celebrated author and poet, famed for works such as The Blue Fox, and The Whispering Muse.

2017 – Elif Shafak

An enormously prolific writer, Shafak has published work in her native Turkish and in English.

2018 – Han Kang

The Vegetarian disturbed and enthralled readers in equal measure back in 2016. The Korean novelist’s work was inducted into the library in 2018.

2019 – Karl Ove Knausgård

Hailing from Norway, Knausgård redefined the boundaries of the memoir form and is the Future Library’s first native donor.

2020 – Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong is a Vietnamese-American author who received significant acclaim for his novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous in 2019.

2022 – Judith Schalansky

Award-winning novelist Judith Schalansky is perhaps best known for her Atlas of Remote Islands but is among the most prolific authors writing in German today.

2023 – Valeria Luiselli

Valeria Luiselli, from Mexico, was recognized early in her career as one of the best young writers in the world. Donating a book to the Library is another significant milestone in her journey.

2024 – Tommy Orange

In August 2024, the Pulitzer-shortlisted Native American author Tommy Orange became the latest member of this exclusive club.

The Ethos of the Project

While the Future Library is certainly a standalone work in its own right, with its own merit, a look at the previous artworks of Katie Paterson provides some insight into the ethos and scope of the project.

Katie’s work includes a broadcast of the sound made by a melting glacier, a map of dead stars, a collection of images from the deepest parts of the universe, and a lightbulb that simulates moonlight. This is an artist who is tuned in to the delicate wonder of humanity and the universe, simultaneously understanding the lasting beauty, and fragile impermanence of our experience in the world. The Future Library is a fitting addition to Katie’s startling oeuvre.

Looking Forward to a Century of Great Literature

By challenging us to think beyond the spans of our own lifetimes and consider our position in the unfolding journey of humanity and culture, the Future Library offers a unique opportunity. With ten incredible authors already onboard, this is proving to be a fascinating, valuable, vital literary project.

When we consider that many of the authors who will feature in the library have not yet even been born, the magnitude of this endeavor becomes clear. It’s a pity that most of us, probably all of us, will never read these works, but in many ways that does not matter – they exist, and we exist, and that’s enough.