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The coveted Nobel Prize in Literature for this year has been awarded to the Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, as announced by the Nobel awarding body.

The Academy highlighted the 71-year-old's "compelling and visionary oeuvre that, within apocalyptic terror, confirms the force of the arts."

A Renowned Path of Apocalyptic Writing

Krasznahorkai is known for his bleak, pensive novels, which have garnered numerous awards, such as the 2019 National Book Award for translated literature and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his works, including his fictional works Satantango and another major work, have been adapted into feature films.

Initial Success

Hailing in the Hungarian town of Gyula in the mid-1950s, Krasznahorkai first made his mark with his 1985 first book his seminal novel, a dark and captivating depiction of a disintegrating countryside settlement.

The novel would go on to win the Man Booker International Prize award in the English language many years later, in 2013.

A Unique Writing Approach

Commonly referred to as avant-garde, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his long, winding sentences (the twelve chapters of Satantango each comprise a solitary block of text), dystopian and somber subjects, and the kind of unwavering force that has led critics to compare him to literary giants like Kafka.

This work was widely adapted into a lengthy motion picture by cinematic artist Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a enduring working relationship.

"Krasznahorkai is a significant writer of epic tales in the Central European heritage that includes Franz Kafka to Bernhard, and is defined by the absurd and grotesque exaggeration," stated the Nobel chair, leader of the Nobel committee.

He portrayed Krasznahorkai’s style as having "evolved into … smooth syntax with long, winding sentences without punctuation that has become his hallmark."

Literary Praise

The critic Susan Sontag has referred to the author as "the modern Hungarian expert of end-times," while WG Sebald applauded the broad relevance of his outlook.

Just a small number of Krasznahorkai’s works have been translated into English. The critic James Wood once wrote that his books "circulate like rare currency."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s literary path has been molded by exploration as much as by literature. He first departed from socialist Hungary in 1987, spending a twelve months in West Berlin for a scholarship, and later was inspired from Asia – particularly China and Mongolia – for novels such as one of his titles, and another novel.

While working on this novel, he journeyed extensively across the continent and stayed in the legendary poet's New York apartment, stating the famous Beat poet's assistance as crucial to finalizing the work.

Krasznahorkai on His Work

Asked how he would explain his writing in an conversation, Krasznahorkai answered: "Letters; then from letters, vocabulary; then from these words, some concise lines; then additional phrases that are longer, and in the chief extremely lengthy paragraphs, for the period of 35 years. Elegance in prose. Fun in darkness."

On audiences encountering his books for the initial encounter, he noted: "Should there be individuals who are new to my novels, I would refrain from advising any specific title to explore to them; on the contrary, I’d suggest them to venture outside, sit down somewhere, possibly by the side of a brook, with no obligations, nothing to think about, just staying in silence like boulders. They will eventually meet an individual who has already read my works."

Literature Prize History

Ahead of the reveal, betting agencies had ranked the frontrunners for this annual honor as the Chinese writer, an experimental from China novelist, and the Hungarian.

The Nobel Award in Writing has been given on over a hundred past events since 1901. Current winners have included Ernaux, Dylan, Gurnah, Glück, Peter Handke and the Polish author. The most recent honoree was Han Kang, the Korean author best known for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will ceremonially be presented with the award and diploma in a event in the month of December in Stockholm.

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