Description
Marking the centenary of Franz Kafka’s death, join award-winning novelist and PEN International President Burhan Sönmez for a profound literary tribute to one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century.
Blending personal reflection with literary insight, Sönmez explores Kafka’s enduring relevance, from his themes of alienation and absurdity to his radical vision of power, identity, and resistance.
This evocative event invites readers and writers alike to rediscover Kafka not only as a literary giant but as a mirror for the anxieties and complexities of our age.
About the Speaker
Burhan Sönmez
Burhan Sönmez is the author of six novels. He is president of PEN International and a Senior Member of Hughes Hall College and Trinity College, University of Cambridge. His novels have been translated into forty-eight languages and received international prizes, including the EBRD Literature Prize and Vaclav Havel Center Award. He was born in Turkey and grew up speaking Turkish and Kurdish. He worked as a lawyer in Istanbul before going to Britain for political reasons and living there in exile for several years. He has been on the judging panel of various events, including Inge Feltrinelli Prize and Geneva International Film Festival and written for press such as La Repubblica, Der Spiegel and The Guardian. He has translated the poetry book of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake into Turkish. Having written five novels in Turkish, he began to write in his mother tongue, Kurdish, with his last novel Lovers of Franz K. He lives between Cambridge and Istanbul.
Join Our Mailing List
By submitting this form you agree to our Privacy Policy and to receive marketing emails, including e-newsletters and event updates from Bradford Literature Festival.