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Conversations on Kafka

Oxford Humanities explores approaches to Kafka and his most famous story "The Metamorphosis" through interviews with world experts, to mark the centenary of his death. We cover how "The Metamorphosis" has itself been transformed into new forms like ballet, theatre and comic books; how Kafka’s work has been read, from ecological insights to questions of illness, humour, feminism or race; how writers from across the world have responded to him from J. M. Coetzee to the 'Brazilian Kafka' Clarice Lispector or Marie NDiaye; and finally how artists have 'written back' to Kafka from their own time and place from the Czech Republic, Spain or even a viral Facebook novel in Russia.

For the curious, a reading list associated with this series is available on ORLO (Oxford Reading Lists Online) - see Related links.

For more on Kafka, the 'Oxford Kafka24' podcast series (https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/oxford-kafka24) features lectures from across the University division, including a collective reading of 'Metamorphosis' with Lemn Sissay and Ben Okri, and talks on disability, discrimination, disease, insects and genetics.

# Episode Title Description People Date
12 Kafka’s Metamorphosis An in-depth exploration of the theme of transformation in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis". Why does Kafka's story still resonate today? Carolin Duttlinger, Bary Murnane, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
11 Dancing "The Metamorphosis" One of the most striking transformations of Kafka's most famous story is into an acclaimed performance for the Royal Ballet. Meindert Peters, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
10 Kafka and Humour Award-winning comedian David Baddiel discusses the kinds of humour that operate in Kafka and how laughter and nightmare are often closer than you think David Baddiel, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
9 Kafka and Comics Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" has been translated into many languages and forms. This podcast explores Peter Kuper's graphic novel. Alexandra Lloyd, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
8 Kafka and Race The transformation that takes place in "The Metamorphosis" has been referenced in any number of recent works by writers that explore issues of race, otherness and power. Kirstin Gwyer, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
7 Kafka and Ecology Although Kafka does not treat environmental issues directly, his work has much to say about time, scale, uncertainty, inside and out and ecology in a broader sense, along our own position in a fragile world. Conor Brennan, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
6 Kafka and Illness Using Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" as a starting point, this memoir of MS examines a range of lives and works to think through how illness challenges identity and how literature can help find a way through. Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
5 The Brazilian Kafka: Clarice Lispector Dubbed "the Brazilian Kafka", the writer Clarice Lispector wrote an experimental text that seems to echo the "Metamorphosis" in a number of ways. Claire Williams, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
4 J. M. Coetzee and Kafka Nobel-prize winning author J. M. Coetzee has continued to reflect on and respond to Kafka in different ways throughout his life and work. Elleke Boehmer, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
3 Two Czech Reflections on Greta Samsa The figure of the sister, Greta Samsa, in Kafka's story "The Metamorphosis" has fascinated writers and thinkers since the story was written. Rajendra Chitnis, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
2 Writing Back: Spanish Literature Two important works of modern Spanish literature both take their cue from Kafka's letters to his companion, the Czech writer, journalist and translator Milena Jesenska. Daniela Omlor, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024
1 Writing Back: Russian Literature Although Kafka and his work was frowned on behind the iron curtain, his works had a remarkable subterranean currency. This podcast takes its cue from Kafka's story "The Judgement" to discuss the "letters" written back to Kafka from today's Russia. Sophia Buck, Karen Leeder 03 Jun 2024