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The coveted Nobel Prize in Literature for this year has been awarded to the Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, as declared by the Swedish Academy.

The Committee commended the author's "gripping and imaginative oeuvre that, amidst end-times dread, reasserts the power of art."

An Esteemed Career of Apocalyptic Narratives

Krasznahorkai is celebrated for his dystopian, somber books, which have won many awards, including the recent National Book Award for international writing and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his books, notably his fictional works Satantango and another major work, have been turned into cinematic works.

Early Beginnings

Originating in Gyula, Hungary in the mid-1950s, Krasznahorkai first gained recognition with his 1985 debut novel Satantango, a grim and hypnotic portrayal of a failing village society.

The book would go on to earn the Man Booker International Prize recognition in English decades after, in 2013.

An Unconventional Writing Approach

Commonly referred to as postmodern, Krasznahorkai is famous for his extended, meandering prose (the dozen sections of Satantango each are a single paragraph), apocalyptic and melancholic motifs, and the kind of persistent power that has led literary experts to compare him to Kafka, Melville, and Gogol.

Satantango was widely transformed into a seven-hour film by cinematic artist Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a long working relationship.

"The author is a great writer of epic tales in the central European tradition that traces back to Franz Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is marked by absurdist elements and grotesque exaggeration," stated Anders Olsson, leader of the Nobel jury.

He characterized Krasznahorkai’s style as having "developed towards … flowing syntax with lengthy, intricate lines without punctuation that has become his signature."

Literary Praise

The critic Susan Sontag has described the author as "today's from Hungary master of end-times," while WG Sebald commended the broad relevance of his outlook.

A handful of Krasznahorkai’s works have been translated into English translation. The reviewer James Wood once remarked that his books "are shared like precious items."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s professional journey has been shaped by travel as much as by his writing. He first departed from socialist his homeland in 1987, spending a year in Berlin for a grant, and later was inspired from Eastern Asia – especially Mongolia and China – for works such as a specific work, and his book on China.

While working on War and War, he travelled widely across Europe and resided temporarily in Ginsberg's New York residence, describing the famous poet's support as vital to finishing the book.

Author's Perspective

Questioned how he would explain his oeuvre in an interview, Krasznahorkai answered: "Characters; then from these characters, words; then from these words, some brief phrases; then more sentences that are lengthier, and in the main exceptionally extended sentences, for the span of three and a half decades. Elegance in writing. Fun in despair."

On fans finding his writing for the initial encounter, he continued: "Should there be people who are new to my works, I would refrain from advising a particular book to explore to them; instead, I’d advise them to venture outside, settle in a place, maybe by the edge of a stream, with nothing to do, no thoughts, just remaining in quiet like stones. They will in time encounter a person who has previously read my books."

Literature Prize History

Prior to the declaration, betting agencies had listed the frontrunners for this annual prize as Can Xue, an avant garde Chinese author, and the Hungarian.

The Nobel Award in Literature has been awarded on over a hundred past events since the early 20th century. Recent recipients are the French author, Dylan, Abdulrazak Gurnah, the poet, the Austrian and Tokarczuk. Last year’s recipient was the South Korean writer, the Korean author most famous for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will formally accept the medal and certificate in a function in the month of December in Stockholm, Sweden.

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