Celebrated author Margaret Atwood has been named the first writer to join Katie Paterson‘s Future Library. Conceived as a public art project in Norway, Paterson has planted one thousand trees in a forest outside of Oslo, which will grow over the next hundred years before being cut down and providing the paper for an anthology of books that will be printed and read in the year 2114. (Theoretically, anyway.)
Atwood has begun writing the first text for the Future Library, according to James Cohan Gallery, Paterson’s dealer. In a statement, Atwood said, “I am very honored, and also happy to be part of this endeavor. This project, at least, believes the human race will still be around in a hundred years!” Here’s hoping!