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The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for this year has been bestowed upon from Hungary author László Krasznahorkai, as revealed by the Swedish Academy.

The Academy commended the seventy-one-year-old's "powerful and prophetic collection that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reasserts the strength of creative expression."

An Esteemed Career of Dystopian Writing

Krasznahorkai is renowned for his dark, somber books, which have earned numerous awards, such as the 2019 National Book Award for international writing and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his books, including his titles Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been adapted into cinematic works.

Early Beginnings

Hailing in a Hungarian locale in the mid-1950s, Krasznahorkai first made his mark with his 1985 debut novel Satantango, a dark and mesmerising portrayal of a collapsing village society.

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

An Unconventional Literary Style

Commonly referred to as postmodernist, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his lengthy, intricate phrases (the twelve chapters of his novel each comprise a one paragraph), dystopian and melancholic motifs, and the kind of relentless force that has led reviewers to compare him to Gogol, Melville and Kafka.

This work was notably transformed into a lengthy motion picture by filmmaker Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a lengthy working relationship.

"Krasznahorkai is a remarkable author of grand narratives in the central European heritage that includes Franz Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is marked by absurdism and bizarre extremes," stated the Nobel chair, leader of the Nobel panel.

He described Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "developed towards … flowing structure with long, winding phrases lacking full stops that has become his trademark."

Critical Acclaim

The critic Susan Sontag has called the author as "the contemporary Hungarian master of apocalypse," while Sebald praised the wide appeal of his perspective.

Only a few of Krasznahorkai’s novels have been translated into English. The critic Wood once wrote that his books "circulate like precious items."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s career has been molded by exploration as much as by his writing. He first left socialist Hungary in 1987, residing a twelve months in Berlin for a scholarship, and later found inspiration from east Asia – particularly Mongolia and China – for novels such as a specific work, and his book on China.

While developing War and War, he travelled widely across the continent and resided temporarily in Allen Ginsberg’s New York home, stating the legendary Beat poet's assistance as vital to completing the novel.

Writer's Own Words

Questioned how he would describe his work in an discussion, Krasznahorkai said: "Letters; then from these characters, words; then from these terms, some brief phrases; then further lines that are more extended, and in the main exceptionally extended phrases, for the span of three and a half decades. Elegance in language. Fun in despair."

On readers discovering his work for the first time, he added: "For any readers who have not yet read my books, I couldn’t recommend anything to explore to them; on the contrary, I’d suggest them to venture outside, sit down somewhere, maybe by the banks of a creek, with no tasks, no thoughts, just remaining in quiet like boulders. They will sooner or later meet an individual who has previously read my works."

Nobel Prize Context

Ahead of the reveal, bookmakers had listed the top contenders for this annual honor as Can Xue, an experimental from China novelist, and Krasznahorkai.

The Nobel Award in Literature has been awarded on 117 past events since the early 20th century. Current winners have included Annie Ernaux, Dylan, Gurnah, the poet, the Austrian and the Polish author. Last year’s winner was Han Kang, the Korean writer renowned for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will formally receive the prize medal and diploma in a function in December in Stockholm, Sweden.

Additional details forthcoming