CL Pauwels at Large

A fascinating – and somewhat disturbing – imaginative take-off on an equally fascinating real project, Peng Shepherd’s The Future Library considers the life generated by words.

It’s difficult to describe the story without spoilers, but Shepherd’s lyrical writing is reward enough in itself. Suffice it to say, if you learn about the actual Future Library effort first, her work makes more sense…in a fantastical way.

In short, beginning in 2014, the real Future Library, a creation of artist Katie Paterson, has been collecting manuscripts, one per year. Each of the selected 100 authors are/will be chosen for “their outstanding contributions to literature and poetry, and for their works’ ability to capture the imagination of this and future generations.” The Future Library Trust protects the secret manuscripts in a specially built “Silent Room” outside a 1,000-tree forest near Deichman Bjørvika, Norway, which was planted by Paterson. In 2114, select trees from that forest will be felled to create the paper on which the manuscripts will be printed.

Shepherd’s take on this imaginative project is gorgeous and heartbreaking and compelling. I wrote about her second novel, The Cartographers, back in January. I’m definitely on the lookout for more of her work, for my own future library!