The Kafka Festival 2018, which features a series of cultural events to mark the 135th anniversary of the Czech writer Franz Kafka’s birthday (July 3, 1883-2018), will be held for the first time in Hanoi with the participation of the embassies of Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, and Switzerland in Vietnam.

The Kafka Festival 2018 is a series of cultural events marking the 135th anniversary of writer Franz Kafka's birthday. 

The festival comprises of diverse activities, including literature, cinematography, performances, and academic events, and will take place continuously for one month at more than 20 major cultural and arts venues across the Vietnamese capital city.

The programme promises to provide Vietnamese readers with sufficient and interesting information on the life, career, and literary works of Franz Kafka, as well as his contributions to literature and his influence on other famous writers, philosophers, and artists.

As part of the festival, a talk on the life, career, and works of Kafka is scheduled for 2.30pm on March 24 at No. 99 Nguy Nhu Kon Tum Street.

The photo and document exhibitions, themed “Kafka: Journey to Vietnamese readers,” will take place at the Dong Tay cultural space (No. 99 Nguy Nhu Kon Tum Street, Thanh Xuan district) from March 24 to April 1, at Heritage Space (No. 6 Nguyen Hoang Street, Nam Tu Liem district) from April 3 to 8, and at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (No. 336 Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan distrct) between April 9 and 14.

Film screenings are also scheduled as part of the festival, including the documentary film “Who is Kafka?” on March 25 and a short Kafkaesque film “Joseph Kilian” on April 4, alongside an arts programme produced by Austria on the evening of April 6 and a seminar themed “Kafka and Asian literature” on April 14 at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities”.

Franz Kafka was born in Prague (now the capital of the Czech Republic) into a German-speaking Jewish family. He mainly wrote in German and made many trips throughout Europe, such as Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, for relaxation and disease treatment.

His famous works, such as “The Metamorphosis” (Die Verwandlung in German), “The Trial” (Der Prozess), and “The Castle” (Das Schloss), feature the topics and prototypes of estrangement, physical and mental cruelty, father-son conflict, characters in scary hunts, and mysterious transformations.

Nhan Dan