Hello
Gentle Reader
The
Vietnamese American poet, essayist and casual novelist has been named the new
writer to contribute to the Future Library Project for 2020. He follows in the footsteps
of previous contributors:
(2014)
Margaret Atwood – Canada
(2015)
David Mitchell – United Kingdom
(2016)
Sjon – Iceland
(2017)
Elif Shafak – Turkey (Exile: United Kingdom)
(2018)
Han Kang – (South) Korea
(2019)
Karl Ove Knausgård – Norwegian
When
comparing Ocean Vuong to previous contributors of the project he is by far the
youngest at the age of 31. The other writers had already been well established
in their careers and have made a significant name for themselves both in their
respective languages, and the English language. On the contrary, Vuong has only
published one full collection of poetry (“Nightsky With Exit Wounds,”) and one
novel: “On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous,” as well as essays in periodicals;
and a couple of poetry chapbooks. Despite his relative youth, and budding
literary career, Ocean Vuong has impressed critics and readers alike. He’s been
awarded the T.S Eliot Prize, a Whiting Award for Poetry, and has been given the
MacArthur Grant. Despite his youth and still becoming literary career, Ocean
Vuong has proven he is as apt to participant in The Future Library Project, as
his predecessors.
The
projects founder and curator, Katie Paterson, praised Ocean Vuong for his
radiant writing, his preoccupations with relevant topics such as the immigrant
experience, and issues related to sexuality. Vuong’s unflinching survivalist imagery,
and raw accounts of what it means to survive are more perfect then ever
considering the current global crisis caused by the pandemic; which has put the
current hand off ceremony for Karl Ove Knausgård on hold.
Ocean
Vuong is a welcomed addition to the Future Library Project’s literary
perspective of the times we live in and will continue to into the future. When the
manuscripts are finally revealed and published in 2114, one can only imagine
what treasures this literary time capsule will reveal.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
M. Mary
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