Hunger Artistry: Kafka and the Art of Starvation

Kafka’s provocative story “The Hunger Artist” explores starvation, art, and the nature of human existence. Experts discuss the story and its reception. Kafka’s “The Hunger Artist” takes its cue from the real fasting performers who until the early years of the twentieth century would starve themselves for the entertainment of paying audiences. The story has been translated into theatre, comic form, animation and a new ballet has been commissioned as part of the Oxford Kafka celebrations. It has also inspired writers, artists and academics to explore the politics and art of starvation in the twentieth century and beyond. This discussion explores the story and its reception from the present day ,in the context of eating disorders hunger strikes and starvation used as a weapon of war.

Om Podcasten

A series of lectures and talks from across the University celebrating the literary works and enduring global legacy of Franz Kafka. 100 years after the death of Franz Kafka (1883-1924), the University of Oxford celebrated the life and work of one of the most influential writers of all time. Since the posthumous publication of his work and ‘rediscovery’ in the middle of the twentieth century, Kafka became a truly global writer who embraced his own multicultural identity. His novels and short stories were translated into multiple languages. His body of work offered profound insights into the human condition, alienation, relationships, and transformation. Oxford is the natural home for a centenary celebration of Franz Kafka: the Bodleian Libraries has the world’s laest Kafka archive; and the University is a leading centre for Kafka studies led by the Oxford Kafka Research Centre. For more approaches to Kafka and 'The Metamorphosis', the ‘Conversations on Kafka’ interviews (https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/conversations-kafka) explore race, comedy, dance, ecology, and much more with world experts on the author from different contexts and traditions.