Franz Kafka Becomes a Writer

As much sun and fresh air as possible is Kafka's treatment plan, which he strictly follows at Just's natural health centre „Jungborn“. The designated home for natural healing and lifestyle is intended to provide Kafka's „immense world that I have in my head“ with some relaxation. People lived here in simple light and airy huts, slept outdoors, spent whole afternoons exercising naked on expansive meadows, turned hay, sang and gardened. The return to nature and the conscious, sometimes esoteric lifestyle promised relief. Kafka has no idea that he is about to face weeks that will change his life in a decisive way.

Quietly, in the room of his friend Max Brod, Kafka wants to decide on the order of the stories for his first publication after his return, but a surprise is already waiting in the Brod family dining room: a pretty Berlin girl who has never been seen here before - Felice Bauer! Shortly afterwards, the first longed-for letter and the groundbreaking night, after which nothing would ever be the same again: „This is the only way to write, only in such a context, with such a complete opening of the body and soul“.

Significantly influenced by his reading of Greek mythology at school and after a long period of trying, Kafka's language undergoes another decisive transformation. In the months that followed, he produced texts that were to become the author's magnum opus. Now he is finally sure of his cause.

Przemek Schreck will talk about this and the many thousands of burnt pages that did not meet Kafka's standards, and carefully, vividly and entertainingly trace his path to becoming a pioneer of literary modernism.

The event will be held in German with simultaneous translation into Czech.

Narrator: Przemek Schreck

Translator: Jiřina Přibylová

Admission is free of charge.

Registration at: kontakt@dieerzaehlerei.com

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„Franz Kafka Becomes a Writer“ is an event organised by Die Erzählerei e. V. in cooperation with Čítárna Unijazz and part of the series 1924KAFKA2024 - NOW AND THEN.

To the event: www.dieerzählerei.com/kafka-now-and-then-unijazz
To the event series: www.dieerzaehlerei.com/kafka-now-and-then