A Hunger Artist

About “A Hunger Artist”

"A Hunger Artist" is a short story by Franz Kafka, first published in 1922 in the journal Die neue Rundschau. It was later included in the collection A Hunger Artist, the last book Kafka prepared for publication, which was printed after his death. The story follows a hunger artist, a performer who fasts for public entertainment. As society's interest in his craft declines, he becomes increasingly isolated. The story examines themes such as death, art, isolation, and the failure of human connection. The title has also been translated as "A Fasting-artist" and "A Starvation Artist." (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)