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The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for this year has been bestowed upon Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, as revealed by the Nobel awarding body.

The Academy praised the author's "gripping and imaginative oeuvre that, within apocalyptic dread, confirms the force of art."

A Renowned Path of Bleak Fiction

Krasznahorkai is known for his dystopian, pensive books, which have garnered numerous prizes, such as the 2019 National Book Award for literature in translation and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

Several of his works, among them his titles his debut and another major work, have been turned into feature films.

Initial Success

Born in the Hungarian town of Gyula in 1954, Krasznahorkai first gained recognition with his mid-80s initial work his seminal novel, a grim and captivating representation of a collapsing village society.

The book would later earn the Man Booker International Prize award in translation many years later, in 2013.

A Distinctive Writing Approach

Frequently labeled as avant-garde, Krasznahorkai is known for his extended, meandering phrases (the 12 chapters of his novel each consist of a solitary block of text), apocalyptic and pensive themes, and the kind of persistent force that has led reviewers to draw parallels with literary giants like Kafka.

This work was widely made into a lengthy movie by cinematic artist the director Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a lengthy artistic collaboration.

"The author is a significant writer of epic tales in the central European literary tradition that includes Franz Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is defined by the absurd and grotesque excess," stated the committee chair, head of the Nobel jury.

He described Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "progressed to … continuous syntax with long, winding phrases devoid of punctuation that has become his hallmark."

Literary Praise

Susan Sontag has called the author as "the modern from Hungary genius of end-times," while the writer W.G. Sebald commended the broad relevance of his vision.

Only a few of Krasznahorkai’s books have been rendered in the English language. The critic Wood once wrote that his books "circulate like precious items."

International Inspiration

Krasznahorkai’s literary path has been shaped by exploration as much as by language. He first left the communist Hungary in 1987, spending a year in the city for a fellowship, and later was inspired from Eastern Asia – particularly Asian nations – for books such as The Prisoner of Urga, and his book on China.

While working on this novel, he explored across Europe and stayed in the legendary poet's New York residence, noting the renowned poet's assistance as vital to completing the novel.

Writer's Own Words

Questioned how he would characterize his work in an discussion, Krasznahorkai answered: "Characters; then from these characters, words; then from these terms, some brief phrases; then further lines that are more extended, and in the main very long phrases, for the period of decades. Elegance in writing. Enjoyment in hell."

On fans finding his writing for the first time, he noted: "If there are individuals who are new to my works, I would refrain from advising any specific title to peruse to them; instead, I’d advise them to venture outside, settle in a place, maybe by the side of a brook, with nothing to do, a clear mind, just staying in silence like boulders. They will eventually meet a person who has previously read my novels."

Literature Prize History

Ahead of the reveal, bookmakers had pegged the frontrunners for this year’s honor as the Chinese writer, an avant garde Chinese novelist, and the Hungarian.

The Nobel Award in Literary Arts has been given on over a hundred past events since the early 20th century. Latest winners have included Ernaux, the musician, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Glück, Peter Handke and Olga Tokarczuk. Last year’s recipient was Han Kang, the Korean author best known for her acclaimed novel.

Krasznahorkai will formally accept the award and document in a ceremony in winter in Stockholm.

Updates to come