In Oslo, Norway, the Future Library project has added manuscripts by authors Tommy Orange and Amitav Ghosh to its collection. Initiated by artist Katie Paterson, the century-long public art initiative invites one author annually to contribute an original, unread work stored in the Deichman Bjørvika library until publication in 2114.
The Bottom Line
- The Timeline: Established in 2014 by Scottish artist Katie Paterson, the project spans 100 years, concluding with publication in 2114.
- The Recent Additions: Authors Tommy Orange and Amitav Ghosh delivered their contributions during a June 28 ceremony in the Nordmarka forest.
- The Infrastructure: One thousand spruce trees planted in Norway will eventually be harvested to provide the paper for the final 2114 print run.
A Century-Long Exercise in Patience
Each year, a selected writer contributes a text that remains completely confidential, stored away in a specialized vault. Only the author’s name and the title of the work are made public.
The endeavor is anchored in the Nordmarka forest north of Oslo, where one thousand spruce trees were planted in 2014. These trees are destined to be cut down in 2114 to supply the raw material for printing the complete collection of one hundred texts. The project’s continuity relies on the Future Library Trust and the City of Oslo maintaining a binding agreement to protect the forest, the manuscripts, and the physical infrastructure for a full century.
Inside the Silent Room at Deichman Bjørvika
While the physical forest grows in the Norwegian wilderness, the public-facing heart of the project lives inside the Deichman Bjørvika public library. Designed by Katie Paterson alongside architecture firms Atelier Oslo and Lund Hagem, the Silent Room opened in 2022 to give physical form to absent literature. The timber used in the room comes directly from the trees cleared to plant the Future Library saplings.
Inside, the chamber’s interior features one hundred concentric layers mimicking the growth rings of a tree. Along the perimeter sit one hundred glowing drawers, waiting to house the century’s worth of texts. With the arrival of Orange and Ghosh, twelve drawers are now occupied, leaving eighty-eight empty slots for future generations of writers to fill.
The Literary Roster and Cultural Precedents
Margaret Atwood inaugurated the project in 2014 with her manuscript Scribbler Moon, handed over the following year. Since then, the archive has steadily accumulated voices across borders and genres.
Subsequent contributors include David Mitchell, Sjón, Elif Shafak, Han Kang, Karl Ove Knausgård, Ocean Vuong, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Judith Schalansky, and Valeria Luiselli. Their texts remain entirely hidden from both readers and literary committees.
| Phase / Year | Milestone Details | Key Figures |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Project launch and planting of 1,000 spruce trees in Nordmarka. | Katie Paterson, Margaret Atwood |
| 2015 | First manuscript submission, Scribbler Moon. | Margaret Atwood |
| 2022 | Opening of the Silent Room at Deichman Bjørvika library in Oslo. | Atelier Oslo, Lund Hagem |
| 2026 | Ceremony for the 11th and 12th texts in the Nordmarka forest. | Tommy Orange, Amitav Ghosh |
Betting on the Future of Reading
The project assumes that in 2114, paper, printing presses, institutions, and—most importantly—readers will still exist.
