Books News

Insert bug on the wall joke here: after long trial, Kafka papers go public

By J.E. Reich October 17, 2012

High school existentialists (finally) have something to celebrate. After a drawn-out (and ironically-set) trial, Israeli judge Talia Kopelman-Pardo ruled that previously hidden documents written by Franz Kafka and his longtime friend, Max Brod, will be made available to the public.

Kafka junkies might already be familiar with the documents and their role in a famous Kafka anecdote. The papers in question were the same kept in a suitcase that Kafka gave to Brod, requesting them to be burned in the event of his death. Despite Kafka's wishes (and passing in 1924), Brod published a small portion of the work found in the papers -- namely The Trial, Amerika, and The Castle, cementing Kafka's canonical status in 20th century literature.  

Brod left Prague for Israel in 1939, taking the suitcase of papers along with him. The documents are currently in the care of Brod's secretary's children, kept in safes both in Tel Aviv and Zurich.  According to Kopelman Pardo's ruling, they will be moved to the Israeli National Library, which plans to publish them and put them online.  

TAGS: Archive, Fiction, Kafka, Literature, Prague, Tel Aviv, Trial,