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

The Academy praised the seventy-one-year-old's "powerful and prophetic body of work that, in the midst of end-times dread, reasserts the power of art."

A Legacy of Bleak Narratives

Krasznahorkai is celebrated for his dark, somber novels, which have won many accolades, for instance the 2019 National Book Award for international writing and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his books, among them his novels Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been made into movies.

Initial Success

Hailing in Gyula, Hungary in 1954, Krasznahorkai first made his mark with his 1985 debut novel Satantango, a dark and mesmerising portrayal of a disintegrating countryside settlement.

The book would go on to earn the Man Booker International Prize award in English nearly three decades later, in 2013.

A Distinctive Prose Technique

Often described as postmodern, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his lengthy, intricate phrases (the twelve chapters of the book each comprise a single paragraph), apocalyptic and melancholic themes, and the kind of unwavering power that has led critics to compare him to Gogol, Melville and Kafka.

The novel was notably transformed into a lengthy movie by cinematic artist Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a enduring artistic collaboration.

"Krasznahorkai is a great epic writer in the central European literary tradition that traces back to Kafka to the Austrian writer, and is defined by absurdist elements and grotesque exaggeration," stated the Nobel chair, leader of the Nobel jury.

He characterized Krasznahorkai’s style as having "developed towards … smooth syntax with extended, meandering sentences without periods that has become his trademark."

Literary Praise

Susan Sontag has described the author as "the modern Hungarian master of the apocalyptic," while the writer W.G. Sebald commended the wide appeal of his perspective.

Just a small number of Krasznahorkai’s novels have been rendered in English. The critic Wood once remarked that his books "are shared like rare currency."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s career has been influenced by exploration as much as by language. He first left the communist Hungary in the late 80s, residing a period in West Berlin for a grant, and later found inspiration from Asia – notably Asian nations – for books such as The Prisoner of Urga, and another novel.

While working on War and War, he travelled widely across the continent and lived for a time in the legendary poet's New York home, describing the legendary writer's assistance as essential to finishing the work.

Writer's Own Words

Asked how he would characterize his work in an conversation, Krasznahorkai said: "Characters; then from these characters, words; then from these words, some concise lines; then more sentences that are lengthier, and in the primary exceptionally extended sentences, for the span of 35 years. Elegance in writing. Enjoyment in hell."

On readers encountering his work for the initial encounter, he added: "Should there be individuals who are new to my books, I would not suggest a particular book to read to them; rather, I’d recommend them to venture outside, rest at a location, maybe by the banks of a creek, with no tasks, nothing to think about, just staying in tranquility like stones. They will eventually encounter an individual who has previously read my novels."

Award Background

Before the announcement, bookmakers had ranked the top contenders for this year's honor as the Chinese writer, an avant garde Chinese author, and Krasznahorkai himself.

The Nobel Prize in Writing has been presented on one hundred seventeen past events since 1901. Latest winners include the French author, Dylan, the Tanzanian-born writer, Louise Glück, the Austrian and Tokarczuk. The previous year's winner was the South Korean writer, the South Korean writer best known for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will officially accept the award and certificate in a ceremony in December in Stockholm.

Updates to come