A new exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries explores Kafka’s life, work and influence on the centenary of his death

Kafka: Making of an Icon, a new exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries, will open on 30 May 2024 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the author’s death, celebrating Kafka’s achievements, creativity and lasting influence around the world.

Featuring materials from the archives of the Bodleian Libraries alongside international loans, Kafka: Making of an Icon not only sets Kafka in the context of his life and times but also shows how his own experiences nourished his imagination, taking visitors on a journey through Kafka’s life and influences – from his relationship with his family and the people closest to him, to the places where he lived and worked, through to his last years of illness and his death on 3 June 1924, at only 40 years of age.

Items on display include the original manuscripts of The Metamorphosis, and two of his unfinished novels, Das Schloss (The Castle) and Der Verschollene (America). The exhibition also includes literary notebooks, drawings, diaries, letters, postcards, glossaries, architectural models, videographic materials and photographs, outlining the people, events and places that shaped the author.

Highlights include a postcard to his brother-in-law, where Kafka jokes about his exceptional skiing skills, despite being severely ill at the time. His Hebrew notebook and his letter (in Hebrew) to his teacher demonstrate his dedication to learning the language that connected him to his family roots, but we also find snippets of Czech, French and Italian, a reminder of Kafka’s keen multilingualism and interest in languages beyond German and Hebrew.

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