It has been an engrossing year for the literary world. The surprise release of Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman sparked fierce debate about the ethics of publishing previously unknown or forgotten works.
Beyond America’s shores, another towering literary figure is at the centre of an international controversy that is raising old questions about the cultural identity of a small Middle Eastern country.
The ownership of unpublished manuscripts and novels written by Franz Kafka, the Czech-Jewish writer widely regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest German-language authors, is pitting Israel against Germany.
Ever the tortured artist, Kafka left his writing desk full of unpublished manuscripts to his friend and close confident Max Brod, a fellow intellectual from Prague. He gave explicit instructions for everything to be burnt uponhis s death. Brod ignored these wishes and in 1939 smuggled Kafka’s estate out of Prague in a suitcase to Palestine.
With the help of the German-born publisher of the Israeli liberal daily Haaretz, Salman Schocken, Brod published what became Kafka's best-known and loved works, including the novels The Trial and The Castle and various short stories.
For reasons that are unclear, Brod did not publish all of the Kafka manuscripts in his possession nor did he hand them over to Mr Schocken. It is these remaining works that have set off a fierce debate between Germany and Israel about who owns Kafka’s legacy.
When Brod died in 1968, his secretary and lover, an Israeli named Esther Hoffe, acquired the rest of Kafka's manuscripts. The full extent of what she received from Brod remains unclear, but it is said to have included unpublished novels, short stories and correspondence between Brod, Kafka and other notable writers of the time, including the Viennese Stefan Zweig, the inspiration for the recent Hollywood film The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The existence of these manuscripts was unknown to anyone outside of the Hoffe family until 2007. The contents were placed in safe deposit boxes in Tel Aviv and Zurich, and some were left in Hoffe’s flat in Tel Aviv. In 2007, Hoffe died and bequeathed her estate to her daughters, who announced that they wished to sell the entire archive in Germany.
Needless to say, the prospect of unread and unpublished Kafka material shook the literary world, particularly German linguists, who see Kafka’s work as a pillar of the modern German language.
In 1988, Esther Hoffe sold the original manuscript of the The Trial to the German Literature Archive in Marbach through a Swiss manuscripts dealer. The Swiss dealer purchased the work for £1 million at Sotheby's in London.
At that point, nothing had been said of the unpublished Kafka manuscripts. The purchase of The Trial made Germany's intentions about collecting and safeguarding the physical remains of Kafka's legacy clear. In their eyes, Kafka's legacy belonged in Germany thanks to his monumental contribution to the language and culture.
Brod, on the other hand, had other feelings about where Kafka’s work belonged. An ardent Zionist, who tried in vain to convince Kafka to join him in British Mandate Palestine, Brod categorically rejected the possibility that Kafka’s literary estate be transferred to an archive in Germany. That Kafka’s three sisters were murdered by the Nazis added fuel to his fire. However, Brod was never given any authority to act as Kafka’s estate executor. In fact, he was instructed to burn all the manuscripts.
When Eve Hoffe, the daughter of Esther Hoffe, announced in 2007 that she would sell the unpublished works to the Germans, the state of Israel intervened. After a lengthy trial that ended last month, an Israeli court ruled that Kafka’s work must be transferred to the Israeli National Library and that it must not leave the country. Rehashing Brod’s arguments, Judge Kobi Vardi argued that as a Jew, Kafka’s work belonged in Israel because it was a cultural asset of the Jewish people.
This extraordinary saga continues to unfold. In 2007, the Hoffe family apartment in Tel Aviv was broken into by unknown persons. This month, German police seized a trove of Brod’s letters that were allegedly smuggled out of Israel. The police are staying silent about the documents’ provenance, but they may have been stolen in the break-in at the Hoffe flat.
Aside from the intrigue and the possibility of unpublished Kafka manuscripts, the question this fight raises is a profound one.
Who owns Franz Kafka? For Israel, the self-described “Jewish State”, Kafka belongs to Israel. The writer would probably have had different thoughts.
During his lifetime, Kafka flirted with the idea of Zionism but ultimately rejected the prospect of moving to Palestine. He did enrol in basic Hebrew classes in Prague but reportedly gave up in frustration. Kafka’s identity was rooted in Europe, and while he may have felt that he was on the margins of European society because of his religion, he never joined the Zionist project in Palestine, despite intense persuasion from fellow intellectuals.
Perhaps the better question is why Israel feels the need to control and dominate the legacy of non-Israeli Jews? The fact that the Zionist movement was and remains unable to compel the majority of global Jewry to participate in its colonial attempts at state-building in Palestine is a source of great frustration in Tel Aviv.
Therefore, Israel feels compelled to fight over the legacy of writers like Kafka in an attempt to claim ownership over their reputation. Israel, a nation state, claims to be the sole representative of Jews everywhere and always. This misplaced ownership of Jewish culture will remain at the heart of the Zionist movement until it is finally comfortable in its own skin.
jdana@thenational.ae
On Twitter: @ibnezra
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
