Franz Kafka wanted most of his writing and artwork burned after his death. Photo: Getty
Tomorrow marks the centenary of Franz Kafka’s death. The Prague-based Jewish writer is perhaps the most celebrated European author of the 20th century and considered an icon of the modernist movement, though he had few readers or admirers in his lifetime.
He published his debut book, Contemplation, in 1913. In a letter to his then fiancee, Felice Bauer, Kafka claimed the collection of short prose offers a few “bright spots” in an “endless confusion”.
