Future Classics

Are the classics of the future already sitting on our shelves?

Every classic was once a new book. Its first readers had no way of knowing whether it would fade with its time or continue to be read, studied, challenged, and discussed for generations. Future Classics looks at the books being written in our lifetime and asks which ones might endure. Drawing on the perspectives of authors, critics, scholars, literary awards, and readers—as well as my own reading experiences—this section explores contemporary works that may one day become part of the literary canon.

We can’t know yet which books will become classics. But we can certainly have the conversation.