🔗 Share this article

The coveted Nobel Prize in Literature for the year 2025 has been bestowed upon from Hungary author László Krasznahorkai, as declared by the Swedish Academy.

The Academy highlighted the author's "compelling and visionary oeuvre that, within end-times dread, confirms the strength of art."

A Renowned Path of Dystopian Narratives

Krasznahorkai is renowned for his dark, somber works, which have garnered numerous prizes, including the recent National Book Award for translated literature and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.

Several of his books, notably his fictional works Satantango and another major work, have been made into feature films.

Debut Novel

Hailing in Gyula, Hungary in 1954, Krasznahorkai first made his mark with his 1985 first book Satantango, a grim and mesmerising depiction of a failing village society.

The work would later secure the Man Booker International Prize recognition in English many years later, in 2013.

A Distinctive Prose Technique

Often described as avant-garde, Krasznahorkai is famous for his extended, meandering prose (the 12 chapters of Satantango each comprise a single paragraph), apocalyptic and pensive subjects, and the kind of persistent intensity that has led critics to draw parallels with literary giants like Kafka.

The novel was notably made into a extended movie by filmmaker Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a lengthy creative partnership.

"The author is a great writer of epic tales in the central European literary tradition that includes Kafka to the Austrian writer, and is defined by absurdist elements and bizarre extremes," stated the Nobel chair, leader of the Nobel jury.

He portrayed Krasznahorkai’s prose as having "developed towards … continuous syntax with lengthy, intricate phrases lacking punctuation that has become his trademark."

Literary Praise

Susan Sontag has referred to the author as "the contemporary from Hungary expert of the apocalyptic," while WG Sebald praised the wide appeal of his outlook.

Just a small number of Krasznahorkai’s novels have been rendered in English. The reviewer Wood once noted that his books "circulate like valuable artifacts."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s career has been shaped by journeys as much as by literature. He first left the communist his homeland in 1987, residing a period in the city for a scholarship, and later was inspired from Eastern Asia – notably Mongolia and China – for books such as The Prisoner of Urga, and another novel.

While writing this novel, he journeyed extensively across European nations and stayed in the legendary poet's New York residence, describing the renowned Beat poet's support as crucial to finishing the work.

Writer's Own Words

Questioned how he would characterize his oeuvre in an discussion, Krasznahorkai answered: "Letters; then from these characters, words; then from these terms, some concise lines; then more sentences that are more extended, and in the primary very long sentences, for the period of decades. Elegance in writing. Fun in hell."

On fans finding his books for the first time, he noted: "Should there be readers who are new to my books, I would not suggest anything to peruse to them; rather, I’d advise them to go out, settle somewhere, possibly by the edge of a stream, with nothing to do, a clear mind, just being in quiet like boulders. They will in time come across an individual who has previously read my works."

Literature Prize History

Ahead of the reveal, betting agencies had ranked the frontrunners for this annual prize as Can Xue, an innovative Chinese author, and Krasznahorkai.

The Nobel Honor in Literary Arts has been awarded on one hundred seventeen previous occasions since 1901. Recent laureates have included the French author, the musician, Gurnah, Glück, Handke and Olga Tokarczuk. The previous year's recipient was Han Kang, the from South Korea writer best known for The Vegetarian.

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

More to follow