Call for Submissions for the Italian National Prize “Franz Kafka” (Premio Franz Kafka Italia)

The Italian Kafka Committee for the Second Italian Humanism (Comitato del 'Secondo Umanesimo Italiano'; http://www.secondoumanesimoitaliano.it/), together with the city of Udine and the Province of Udine, invites all established authors from Italy and across Europe to submit their works, drawings, and artistic portfolios for the Italian National Prize "Franz Kafka", which has an international character.

This is the second and only other literary prize in Europe and the world (besides the Czech prize of the same name in Prague, awarded by the “Franz Kafka Society” and the City of Prague) that bears the name of the great European writer Franz Kafka. It was established in 2011 in Italy to honor the literary and moral legacy of Franz Kafka (Prague 1883 – Kierling/Vienna 1924). The award was initiated by the Committee for the Second Italian Humanism. The idea for launching the Italian National Prize "Franz Kafka" was proposed by the renowned Italian cultural figure, writer, university professor, and Kafka scholar Rita Mascialino (https://www.ritamascialino.com/cms/).

The award is presented in three categories:

1. For a lifetime achievement – for an entire career, body of work, and literary output in the spirit of Franz Kafka’s literary work and poetics;

2. For drawing – in any technique, reflecting the spirit and style of Franz Kafka (as Kafka himself was a persistent sketcher, often drawing in the margins of his manuscripts);

3. For painting – for the best painting of Franz Kafka or a visual motif inspired by his work.

Previous laureates include renowned Italian and European writers, painters, academics, literary and art critics, and theorists.

Eligibility is open to all writers from all countries, cultures, and languages worldwide. However, submissions and documentation must be exclusively in Italian.

All information, detailed guidelines, and application forms for each of the three categories can be found on the official Prize website: https://franzkafkaitalia.it/

Submission deadline: May 15, 2025.

Applications should be sent to: rita.mascialino@gmail.com

The Prize is awarded by a jury appointed by the Committee for the Second Italian Humanism and the City of Udine.

(Recommendation: If possible, please do not submit your application near the deadline to avoid overloading the jury during the review process.)

*(Rita Mascialino is one of Italy’s most prominent Kafka scholars, a university professor and writer with a PhD in Literary Sciences. She was born in Genoa in 1946. She studied German language and literature at the University of Venice and obtained a degree in pedagogy from the University of Trieste. She is a multiple award-winning author, and her books and academic works have been published worldwide. She is one of the key figures