In The Shadow Of Kafka

Series

Episode

Title

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Broadcast

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Margaret Atwood

20150511

Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five leading writers explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his writing still resonates for them as contemporary writers.

Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's series exploring the work and influence of Franz Kafka.

1. Kafka: Three Encounters - Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood's first essay on Kafka was written when she was 19 years old not yet a writer herself. Over the years she visited Prague three times, each time looking for traces of the iconic writer, each time finding a different version of him and a changing attitude of his native city to one of its most famous and elusive sons. How did he have such a far-sighted interpretation of the world around him and beyond?

Margaret Atwood is a multi award-winning novelist, poet, essayist and environmental campaigner.

Producer, Polly Thomas

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3.

Margaret Atwood revisits an essay she wrote on Franz Kafka when she was 19 years old.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

His Father's Excrement - Franz Kafka and the Power of the Insect

20150512

Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five leading writers explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his writing still resonates for them as contemporary writers.

Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's series exploring the work and influence of Franz Kafka.

2. His Father's Excrement: Franz Kafka and the Power of the Insect - Hanif Kureishi

Hanif Kureishi explores Kafka's personal and artistic fascination with the body and food. A lifelong vegetarian, Kafka was tormented by his delicate digestion and his father's blustering, carnivorous robustness. His characters use their bodies as weapons to attack others and ultimately destroy themselves.

Hanif Kureishi is a playwright, film maker and novelist.

Producer, Polly Thomas

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3.

Hanif Kureishi on Franz Kafka's personal and artistic fascination with the body and food.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Waving or Drowning: Kafka and Meaning

20150513

Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five leading writers explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his work still resonates for them.

Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's series highlighting the work and influence of Franz Kafka.

3. Waving or Drowning: Kafka and Meaning - Karen Leeder

Kafka's work is full of messengers and messages. Leeder examines the significance and interpretation of communication in Kafka, delving into meaning, a key debate around his work. She argues that it is not so much the meaning as the very act of purveying a message itself that is Kafka's aim.

Karen Leeder is a prize winning translator and Professor of Modern German Literature at New College, Oxford.

Producer, Polly Thomas
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3.

Karen Leeder explores Franz Kafka's very modern use of messengers and messages.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Kafka's Castle

20150514

Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five leading writers explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his work still resonates for them as contemporary writers.

Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's current season, highlighting the work and influence of Franz Kafka.

4. Kafka's Castle - April de Angelis

Is Kafka funny? Is he a feminist? Kafka was reported to frequently laugh uproariously at his own work, yet for many, his writing tips from comic to nihilistic and back with ease. De Angelis unpicks the comic elements of The Castle, one of his three full length novels, and argues an unusual case, for Kafka the feminist.

April de Angelis is an award-winning playwright for stage, radio, opera and film. Her play Jumpy was in the West End in 2014.

Producer, Polly Thomas

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3.

Playwright April de Angelis discusses Kafka's novel The Castle.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Transformer

20150515

Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five essayists explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his work still resonates for them as contemporary writers.

Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's current season, highlighting the work and influence of Franz Kafka.

5. Transformer - Jeff Young

Jeff first encountered Kafka as a surly teenager in the 1970s, when a kipper tie wearing art teacher put A Love Supreme by John Coltrane on the turntable during an art lesson and read aloud from Metamorphosis. The magic and mystery of Kafka's writing was made even powerful by the fact that it had been translated. Over time, Jeff collected and compared every new edition. His essay looks at the nature of translation, how it sits between the writer and the words and how that magical space allows the reader to discover his or her own version of the author and his intention.

Jeff Young is a playwright, for radio stage and screen. He has written about 30 radio plays, radio essays and drama documentaries. In 2014 his play 'Bright Phoenix' marked the 50th anniversary of Liverpool Everyman theatre.

Producer, Polly Thomas

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3.

Playwright Jeff Young explores the unusually powerful impact of Kafka's language.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	Margaret Atwood	20150511	Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five leading writers explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his writing still resonates for them as contemporary writers. Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's series exploring the work and influence of Franz Kafka. 1. Kafka: Three Encounters - Margaret Atwood Margaret Atwood's first essay on Kafka was written when she was 19 years old not yet a writer herself. Over the years she visited Prague three times, each time looking for traces of the iconic writer, each time finding a different version of him and a changing attitude of his native city to one of its most famous and elusive sons. How did he have such a far-sighted interpretation of the world around him and beyond? Margaret Atwood is a multi award-winning novelist, poet, essayist and environmental campaigner. Producer, Polly Thomas A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3. Margaret Atwood revisits an essay she wrote on Franz Kafka when she was 19 years old. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
02	His Father's Excrement - Franz Kafka and the Power of the Insect	20150512	Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five leading writers explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his writing still resonates for them as contemporary writers. Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's series exploring the work and influence of Franz Kafka. 2. His Father's Excrement: Franz Kafka and the Power of the Insect - Hanif Kureishi Hanif Kureishi explores Kafka's personal and artistic fascination with the body and food. A lifelong vegetarian, Kafka was tormented by his delicate digestion and his father's blustering, carnivorous robustness. His characters use their bodies as weapons to attack others and ultimately destroy themselves. Hanif Kureishi is a playwright, film maker and novelist. Producer, Polly Thomas A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3. Hanif Kureishi on Franz Kafka's personal and artistic fascination with the body and food. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
03	Waving or Drowning: Kafka and Meaning	20150513	Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five leading writers explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his work still resonates for them. Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's series highlighting the work and influence of Franz Kafka. 3. Waving or Drowning: Kafka and Meaning - Karen Leeder Kafka's work is full of messengers and messages. Leeder examines the significance and interpretation of communication in Kafka, delving into meaning, a key debate around his work. She argues that it is not so much the meaning as the very act of purveying a message itself that is Kafka's aim. Karen Leeder is a prize winning translator and Professor of Modern German Literature at New College, Oxford. Producer, Polly Thomas A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3. Karen Leeder explores Franz Kafka's very modern use of messengers and messages. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
04	Kafka's Castle	20150514	Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five leading writers explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his work still resonates for them as contemporary writers. Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's current season, highlighting the work and influence of Franz Kafka. 4. Kafka's Castle - April de Angelis Is Kafka funny? Is he a feminist? Kafka was reported to frequently laugh uproariously at his own work, yet for many, his writing tips from comic to nihilistic and back with ease. De Angelis unpicks the comic elements of The Castle, one of his three full length novels, and argues an unusual case, for Kafka the feminist. April de Angelis is an award-winning playwright for stage, radio, opera and film. Her play Jumpy was in the West End in 2014. Producer, Polly Thomas A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3. Playwright April de Angelis discusses Kafka's novel The Castle. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
05	Transformer	20150515	Franz Kafka means many things to many people. Five essayists explore the breadth of his thinking, his world and how his work still resonates for them as contemporary writers. Part of In the Shadow of Kafka, Radio 3's current season, highlighting the work and influence of Franz Kafka. 5. Transformer - Jeff Young Jeff first encountered Kafka as a surly teenager in the 1970s, when a kipper tie wearing art teacher put A Love Supreme by John Coltrane on the turntable during an art lesson and read aloud from Metamorphosis. The magic and mystery of Kafka's writing was made even powerful by the fact that it had been translated. Over time, Jeff collected and compared every new edition. His essay looks at the nature of translation, how it sits between the writer and the words and how that magical space allows the reader to discover his or her own version of the author and his intention. Jeff Young is a playwright, for radio stage and screen. He has written about 30 radio plays, radio essays and drama documentaries. In 2014 his play 'Bright Phoenix' marked the 50th anniversary of Liverpool Everyman theatre. Producer, Polly Thomas A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3. Playwright Jeff Young explores the unusually powerful impact of Kafka's language. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.