Author portraits and headshots with Dr Leah Tomkins

Dr Leah Tomkins first encountered Franz Kafka during her A Level German studies. His was one of the books she needed to read as part of the course.

She told me she was instantly hooked on his writing, in the same way you might feel the presence of greatness when you see an incredible work of art for the first time.

Leah chose to study Kafka further, at Oxford, before moving on to work in management consulting for one of London’s big four consulting firms.

Over the years, she wrote a couple of books on leadership, before her thoughts came back to Franz Kafka.

Leah had noticed how often his work had been misinterpreted. The common perception seemed to be that Kafka was weak, vulnerable and an underdog.

In reality, having read his texts in the original German, Leah knew that his work was about the subtle and effective use (and misuse) of power, and is surprisingly relevant in today’s era of ‘post-truth’, populist leadership.

Leah applied to do a Fellowship at the Bodleian Library, a prestigious library owned by the University of Oxford and which holds his original manuscripts. She delved headfirst into life as a student once again, while doing freelance management consulting on the side.

Leah pitched a book on the application of Kafka’s writing to leadership and sent it to her previous publisher, Edward Elgar. They eagerly commissioned it, having seen the quality of her first two titles. 2024 marks 100 years since Kafka’s death, so now is the perfect time to reexamine his legacy.

As Leah started on the first draft, she felt like she’d returned home: to Oxford and to Kafka, her story had come full circle.

Although it’s not Leah’s first book, she tells me this is the one that really matters. Indeed, I could see her come alive during her headshot and portrait session with me every time we spoke about her work on Kafka.

Of course, writing a book is just the first part of the job. Promoting the book is a whole separate task, involving conferences and media work, including a launch with LBC journalist Shelagh Fogarty at Jesus College, Oxford in June next year.

Leah’s book launch is a free event, but you’ll need to register in order to secure a place. Check back here in March 2024, when bookings open, for a link to get your ticket, and look out for the book at all good bookstores shortly after!

If you’re looking for professional headshots in the Oxfordshire area, please get in contact.

I am a full-time professional portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and the Master Photographers Association Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).