The year was 1922, and Ernest Hemingway’s wife, Elizabeth Hadley Richardson, made a grave error. She was preparing to join her husband, a young journalist in Switzerland, for Christmas. In her rush to catch a train from Paris to Switzerland, she decided to bring all of Hemingway’s drafts and manuscripts in one suitcase. However, fate had other plans. As she momentarily left her luggage unattended to buy water, the suitcase containing Hemingway’s early writings was stolen.

But what if the suitcase had never been taken? What if Hemingway’s first novel had seen the light of day? These tantalizing questions are explored in a new exhibition in New York City. Titled “Imaginary Books: Lost, Unfinished and Fictive Works Found Only in Other Books,” the showcase presents a collection of texts that exist only in the realm of imagination.

Among the showcased works is William Shakespeare’s elusive sequel to “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” Sylvia Plath’s unfinished novel “Double Exposure,” and a reimagined copy of Lord Byron’s memoirs, which were tragically burned after his death. The exhibition, curated by Reid Byers, features 114 imaginary titles brought to life by bookbinders, calligraphers, printers, and artists. Each book is displayed as a work of art, inviting visitors to judge them solely by their covers.

The imaginary books are classified into three categories: Lost books that were once real but have disappeared, unfinished books that were abandoned or destroyed, and fictive books that exist only within other works of literature. From the driver’s handbook in “The Phantom Tollbooth” to the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and the mysterious “Songs of the Jabberwock” from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass,” these books serve as liminal objects that transport viewers to the threshold of literary wonder.

“Imaginary Books” is a unique blend of bibliophilic entertainment and conceptual art, challenging visitors to suspend their disbelief and delve into the world of fiction within fiction. The exhibition will be on display at the Grolier Club in New York City until February 15, 2025.

In conclusion, “Imaginary Books” offers a thought-provoking exploration of what could have been, shedding light on the lost, unfinished, and fictive works that continue to captivate the literary imagination.