Renata Fucikova, Radek Maly | KAFKA in Hong Kong - Online and In Person

2023 is the 140th anniversary of Franz Kafka’s birth. What is his legacy and why should we still read Kafka?

In this hybrid event, Czech writer Radek Maly and Czech illustrator Renata Fucikova discuss their collaborative work Franz Kafka: A Man of His Time and Our Own, with Julia Kuehn and share their deep knowledge on the man, his works and his influence, and why we should still read Kafka 140 years on. The online talk will be accompanied by a VR experience of being turned into a beatle!

The VRwandlung – Kafka in Virtual Reality experience will also be available on 11 and 12 March between 2 - 6 pm at the Gallery, Goethe-Institut Hongkong. Admission for both the event and VR experience is by registration at [email protected].

Radek Malý, born in 1977, is a Czech poet, translator and author of children's books, working with the best Czech illustrators. He has published ten books for children, along with six poetry books, and has won some of the most significant Czech literary awards in the children's book category, Magnesia Litera and Zlatá Stuha, and the international award White Raven.

Among his books he has written Franz Kafka – A Man of His Time and Our Own young adults, and the collection of poems for children Listonoš vítr (The Postman Wind), which was on the Ibby (International Board on Books for Young People) Honour List. He lives in Prague where he works as a university lecturer, translator to/from German, and editor. Since 2011 he has been the head of the Department of Creative Writing at the Literary Academy in Prague.

Originally an artist and illustrator, Renáta Fučíková has gradually devoted more time to writing books, including collaborating on the young adult book Franz Kafka: A Man of His Time and Our Own.

She has won many awards including several Golden Ribbons as well as Grand Prix at the Biennial of Illustration in Zagreb 2018 and the prize at the Biennial of Illustration in Tehran in 1997. She was nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2011.

She was born in Prague on 3 January and lives alternately in Prague and in Pilsen, where she teaches illustration at the Faculty of Art and Design of the University of West Bohemia.

Host or Publisher Hong Kong International Literary Festival