Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, born into a middle-class Jewish family in Prague. His name has become a byword for alienation and guilt and his harrowing yet humorous work, features individuals in an impersonal and bureaucratic world over which they have increasingly little power.
Isabel Tucker studied French and German at Oxford University and Kings College London. After several years teaching Modern Languages, she moved into publishing and now works as a freelance editor and translator.