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

The Committee praised the 71-year-old's "compelling and visionary collection that, amidst apocalyptic terror, reasserts the strength of the arts."

An Esteemed Career of Dystopian Writing

Krasznahorkai is renowned for his bleak, pensive works, which have won numerous prizes, including the recent National Book Award for literature in translation and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

Many of his books, notably his titles Satantango and another major work, have been adapted into movies.

Debut Novel

Originating in a Hungarian locale in 1954, Krasznahorkai first gained recognition with his 1985 first book Satantango, a dark and captivating portrayal of a disintegrating rural community.

The work would later earn the Man Booker International Prize recognition in English decades after, in the 2010s.

An Unconventional Writing Approach

Frequently labeled as avant-garde, Krasznahorkai is known for his lengthy, intricate phrases (the dozen sections of his novel each consist of a one paragraph), bleak and melancholic subjects, and the kind of persistent power that has led literary experts to liken him to literary giants like Kafka.

Satantango was notably made into a lengthy movie by filmmaker Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a enduring artistic collaboration.

"The author is a great author of grand narratives in the European literary tradition that traces back to Franz Kafka to Bernhard, and is defined by absurdist elements and grotesque excess," said Anders Olsson, head of the Nobel jury.

He described Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "evolved into … continuous structure with extended, meandering lines devoid of full stops that has become his trademark."

Expert Opinions

Sontag has referred to the author as "today's from Hungary expert of the apocalyptic," while WG Sebald applauded the wide appeal of his perspective.

A handful of Krasznahorkai’s novels have been translated into the English language. The critic Wood once noted that his books "get passed around like rare currency."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s literary path has been molded by journeys as much as by language. He first departed from communist the country in 1987, spending a twelve months in Berlin for a scholarship, and later was inspired from east Asia – notably China and Mongolia – for works such as a specific work, and Destruction and Sorrow Beneath the Heavens.

While working on War and War, he journeyed extensively across Europe and resided temporarily in Ginsberg's New York apartment, noting the legendary writer's support as vital to finalizing the book.

Author's Perspective

Asked how he would characterize his oeuvre in an interview, Krasznahorkai said: "Characters; then from letters, words; then from these terms, some concise lines; then further lines that are more extended, and in the chief extremely lengthy phrases, for the span of three and a half decades. Beauty in language. Fun in despair."

On audiences finding his work for the first time, he noted: "For any readers who have not yet read my novels, I would refrain from advising any specific title to peruse to them; rather, I’d recommend them to go out, settle somewhere, maybe by the edge of a stream, with nothing to do, a clear mind, just being in silence like boulders. They will in time come across an individual who has encountered my works."

Award Background

Prior to the declaration, betting agencies had listed the favourites for this annual prize as an avant-garde author, an innovative Chinese writer, and the Hungarian.

The Nobel Prize in Literary Arts has been awarded on over a hundred past events since 1901. Current recipients are Ernaux, the musician, the Tanzanian-born writer, the poet, Peter Handke and Olga Tokarczuk. Last year’s recipient was Han Kang, the Korean novelist best known for her acclaimed novel.

Krasznahorkai will formally be presented with the medal and document in a ceremony in December in the Swedish capital.

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