Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was a Czech-born, German-speaking writer. His major novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926), and Amerika (1927).
Michael Hofmann (translator and introducer) has translated Joseph Roth, Hans Fallada, Herta Müller, Zoe Jenny, Wim Wenders, Wolfgang Koeppen, Durs Grünbein, and Franz Kafka. He is a professor of English at the University of Florida.