Canada
In one hundred years
Foto: © Mimsy Moeller/Samfoto NTB scanpix
In one hundred years
Imagine that you were asked to write something that no one would read for 100 years. You’re not allowed to tell anyone what you’ve written. You’re not even allowed to give a little hint. Would you do it? In 2014 a Canadian author called Margaret Atwood decided to accept the challenge of writing something for the future. As well as being a writer of novels, poems and essays, she is also an environmental activist. Maybe that’s why she was chosen to be the very first author for the Future Library Project.
The project is the brainchild of artist Katie Paterson. The first stage consisted of planting trees in the hills surrounding Oslo. They will grow for many, many years, then they will be cut down. The wood will be used to make paper for printing what Margaret Atwood and others have written. Every year a new writer will write a manuscript that will be kept secret until one special day in the future.
“I am sending a manuscript into time. Will any human beings be waiting there to receive it? Will there be a ‘Norway’? Will there be a ‘forest’? Will there be a ‘library’?”
Margaret Atwood
Your turn to write 1
Write a paragraph about one of the topics. Send it to your teacher for comments.
- Find out about a Canadian author. What would you like to read by this author, and why?
- Find out about the Canadian media. What are the main newspapers and TV and radio stations in Canada?