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Edmund de Waal : library of exile
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Edmund de Waal : library of exile

by Edmund de Waal, Elif Shafak, Hartwig Fischer

This volume marks the library of exile exhibition at the British Museum, examining the role of literature in transcending borders. It explores the artwork's historical context and its future destination at the New University Library in Mosul.

Accession 20559 ISBN 9780714123479 Publisher British Museum
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TAGS
Curated Derived
Architecture Art Decorative Arts Geography Law Libraries Literature Materials Museums Science
CONNECTIONS
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State
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True
position_updated_at
2026-06-03 16:40
orientation
vertical
Details

Physical

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Hard Back
dimensions
none captured
spine_text
none captured

Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
G:N1:3 3 Current vertical
2 days, 19 hours ago
Book Location
Updated 2 days, 19 hours ago
Vernon snapshot
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Frozen copy of Vernon's record from the last sync. Fields tagged → flow back into the Pulse record.

Last synced 2026-05-25 10:40 (1 week, 5 days ago)

Identity

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Edmund de Waal : library of exile
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20559
vernon_slug
edmund-de-waal-library-of-exile-elif-shafak-hartwig-fischer

Drives Pulse state

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On Shelf
location_name
Zone N1/Level 1/Phrontisterion/MONA
location_reason
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isbn_issn→ isbn (when valid)
9780714123479

Descriptive

production_date
2021
object_type
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object_status
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brief_description
Created as a 'space to sit and read and be', 'library of exile' is an installation by British artist and writer, Edmund de Waal, housing more than 2,000 books in translation, written by exiled authors. Unveiled to great acclaim during the Venice Biennale 2019, this porcelain-covered pavilion is intended as a place of contemplation and dialogue. 'It is about exile,' says de Waal, 'what it means to have to move to another country, to speak another language. From Ovid and Dante to Marina Tsvetaeva and Judith Kerr, the library forms a record of repression while celebrating the response of the displaced. Almost all of the books are in translation, reflecting the idea of language as a form of migration. Each book has an 'ex libris' label so visitors can write their name inside ones that matter to them. Alongside the books hangs a quartet of de Waal's own vitrines, 'psalm, I-IV' (2019), holding pieces of porcelain, marble and steel. Their arrangements echo the composition of Daniel Bomberg's 16th-century edition of the Talmud, a central text of Judaism, printed in Venice and notable for holding the Hebrew text, Aramaic translation and commentary on a single page. Following its display at the British Museum, the books featured in the library of exile will be donated by the artist to the University of Mosul Library, with the kind participation of Book Aid International.

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Hartwig Fischer, Edmund de Waal, Elif Shafak
tags→ tags
Human settlements, Human ecology, Ecology, Environmental sciences, Science, Contemporary Art, Art, Modern -- 21st century, Installations (Art), Art, Modern, Punishment, Corrections, Criminal justice, Administration of, Justice, Administration of, Law, Library buildings, Public buildings, Buildings, Built environment, Ceramics, Clay, Binders (Materials), Materials, Exile (Punishment), Alternatives to imprisonment
subject_people
Edmund de Waal (English, b.1964)
subject_objects
—

Cover image

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Topics and Themes