TRANSATLANTIC KAFKA (June 17–20, 2024) : a series of talks and panel discussions

Transatlantic Kafka – Franz Kafka’s legacy on the USA–Czech Republic route

In the centenary year of the writer’s death, the Transatlantic Kafka project will enrich Prague’s cultural life with a range of innovative, inspiring and relevant discussions about Kafka in the context of contemporary events and with regard to the international dimension. In June, a group of prominent American and Czech/European writers, academics, intellectuals, and artists will be giving talks and engaging in discussions about Kafka and his legacy – one of the most influential 20th-century thinkers and writers in Europe and the United States since the late 1940s.

The quality and renown of the Kafka-related events next June in Prague is guaranteed by the caliber of the invited guests – including the writer, academic and literary critic Merve Emre; the American translator of German literature Ross Benjamin; the American-Israeli writer; the journalist, educator and translator Benjamin Balint; the literary scholar, art critic and translator Veronika Tuckerová, and the writer and journalist Magdalena Platzová.

Kafka and the USA

Since the late 1940s, Kafka has been one of the most influential 20th-century thinkers and writers in Europe and the United States. His work was particularly well received in the United States, where Salman Schocken, a Jewish émigré from Nazi Germany, published English translations of Kafka’s books in 1945, thereby introducing this unique author to the American public. At the same time, the philosopher Hannah Arendt, another refugee from Nazi Germany, interpreted Kafka’s works in the context of totalitarianism and fascism. As a result of such engagement, Kafka became acknowledged as one of the most influential 20th-century thinkers and writers in Europe and the United States.

The Jewish Museum in Prague will also be collaborating with two prestigious universities in connection with the centenary events, namely Harvard University and the Anglo-American University of Prague. Both universities will be incorporating students and teachers in the project and will be providing seminars on the personality and work of Franz Kafka in the summer semester of 2024. The aim is to bring Kafka closer to young students and to preserve his legacy in both countries.