A rare literary collection that includes original manuscripts for Franz Kafka for sale in Paris culture

In the French capital, Paris was launched one of the richest and rarest groups associated with the famous Czech writer Franz Kafka, as part of the exhibition of rare books and soundtracks, which will be held from 13 to 15 June.

What is remarkable about this group, which is presented by the French surgeon and the foyer of books, Thierry Boosh, after about 40 years of the intense gathering, that it includes rare copies that include words in Hebrew written by Kafka in his handwriting, which reflects the great writer’s interest in the Hebrew language and his serious thinking of migration to Palestine, which are aspects that still have special attention from researchers in his CV.

Kafka spent several years between 1917 and 1924 learning Hebrew, and was then thinking about leaving Prague and stability in Palestine. While preparing to write his story “A report of an academy” in 1919, he trained on the rules of the Hebrew language, which are reflected in some of the displaced versions that contain posts by Hebrew actions.

This version is specifically the most expensive in the group, as it is displayed at 90 thousand euros, making it the most expensive piece in the exhibition.

The cover of the original edition of “in the colony of punishment” in 1919, signed by a gift to Oscar Paum (French), the cover of a rare version of “in the colony In the last year of his life in 1924 (French) another message in Kafka’s handwriting addressed to Ludwig Hard in 1924 (French)

Rare holdings and original signatures

The full set includes 427 pieces, ranging between 20 and 90 thousand euros. Among the most prominent holdings offered to the volumes bearing the signature of Kafka, which is rare because the author of the “monster” was not widely popular during his life, and did not follow many of his books at the time, which makes his signature rare value.

The group also includes experimental copies of a “Academy Report”, and a first edition of the book “In the colony of punishment” issued in 1919 in Leipzig (a thousand copies), and bears a gift of Kafka’s line to his friend, Oscar Baum.

Also, two rare messages from Kafka were sold: the first to his friend Robert Clubstock in 1921, and the second to actor Ludwig Hardt in 1924, with a price of 20 thousand and 30 thousand euros, respectively.

A group of the first editions of the famous Kafka works such as “Al -Waqada” (1913), “Al -Maskha” (1915) and “Al -Hakam” (1916) are presented at a price of 30 thousand euros, along with the “Hunger Artist” group (1924) offered at a price of 20 thousand euros.

Thierry Boosh, a 71 -year -old French surgeon, tells at the forefront of the exhibition that his passion for Kafka’s work began during his study of medicine in the 1970s, before he later turned into a life project, especially after his visit to Prague under Communist rule. At the beginning of the new century, he decided to focus his rare collection on Kafka’s works in particular, and he used this with some of the most skilled booklets in Europe.

Christophe Champion, one of the most famous rare book sellers in Paris, described this group as “exceptional and comparable to the Breion Mitchell group”, the American academic who is a reference in collecting Kafka’s works, but, according to him, excels in terms of translations, illustrations and book binding.

The importance of the works of the French translator Alexander Vielat, who played a pivotal role in transferring Kafka to the French and international reader. A set of his works, which was based on his correspondence with the Czech translator, Melina Yisinska, is shown at 50 thousand euros, in 4 volumes, including 279 pages written in feather, and a copy of “messages to Melina” issued in 1956, in addition to rare documents and unpublished notes on Kafka.

This exhibition represents a live testimony on the Kafka literary genius, which continues to stimulate controversy and fascination after about a century of his death. He is the writer who lived a short life that did not exceed 40, but during which he laid the foundations of deep existential literature, which reflects the isolation of man and the contradictions of the system, in a bureaucratic world of suffocation and inspired it at the same time.

Through this unique group, the influence of Kafka in European intellectual and cultural life, which is still seduced by those interested in opening the treasures of his memory, from Paris this time, is a past filled with open questions.