In a remarkable literary event, celebrated author Amitav Ghosh has entrusted his latest manuscript to the Future Library, an ambitious project in Oslo that safeguards contemporary works for readers of the next century. The manuscript, sealed in a ceremony on 13 August 2025, will remain unread for 89 years, only to be unveiled in 2114.
A Time Capsule for Literature
The Future Library, conceived by Scottish artist Katie Paterson, is a living archive that collects one unpublished manuscript each year from a selected author. These works are stored in a specially designed room in Oslo's Deichman Library, printed on paper made from 1,000 trees planted in Nordmarka forest.
Ghosh joins an illustrious list of contributors including Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, and Ocean Vuong. His work, like those before it, will remain a mystery to current generations, creating a unique bridge between present creativity and future readership.
The Ceremony in Oslo
At the handover ceremony, Ghosh described the experience as "both humbling and exhilarating." He remarked: "To write for readers not yet born is to engage in an act of radical hope - a belief in the enduring power of stories to connect us across time."
The manuscript, whose title remains confidential, was placed in a custom-made box crafted from the project's own trees. It will join its predecessors in the Silent Room, a specially climate-controlled space where natural light is carefully filtered to preserve the papers.
A Growing Forest of Stories
The Future Library represents an extraordinary marriage of art, literature and environmentalism. Each contributed manuscript corresponds to a tree in the Nordmarka forest, creating a living, growing monument to the written word.
By 2114, when the first works are finally printed, the forest will have matured alongside a century's worth of literary treasures - offering future readers not just stories, but a tangible connection to the ecological consciousness of our time.
For now, Ghosh's words remain silent, waiting patiently for their moment in the next century. The project continues to capture imaginations worldwide as a bold experiment in long-term cultural preservation.
