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

The Academy commended the author's "compelling and visionary body of work that, within end-times fear, reaffirms the power of creative expression."

A Renowned Path of Dystopian Writing

Krasznahorkai is renowned for his dystopian, somber books, which have earned many awards, such as the recent National Book Award for literature in translation and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his works, among them his novels his debut and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been adapted into movies.

Early Beginnings

Originating in the Hungarian town of Gyula in 1954, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his 1985 first book Satantango, a bleak and captivating portrayal of a failing village society.

The book would go on to secure the Man Booker International Prize award in the English language decades after, in 2013.

A Distinctive Literary Style

Often described as postmodern, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his long, winding prose (the 12 chapters of Satantango each comprise a single paragraph), dystopian and pensive motifs, and the kind of unwavering force that has led literary experts to compare him to literary giants like Kafka.

Satantango was widely made into a lengthy film by filmmaker Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a enduring working relationship.

"The author is a significant epic writer in the European heritage that includes Kafka to the Austrian writer, and is marked by the absurd and grotesque excess," commented the committee chair, chair of the Nobel jury.

He described Krasznahorkai’s prose as having "progressed to … flowing structure with lengthy, intricate sentences without periods that has become his signature."

Critical Acclaim

Sontag has referred to the author as "the contemporary Hungarian genius of apocalypse," while the writer W.G. Sebald commended the broad relevance of his perspective.

Just a small number of Krasznahorkai’s works have been rendered in English translation. The literary critic James Wood once remarked that his books "circulate like precious items."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s professional journey has been shaped by exploration as much as by literature. He first exited the communist Hungary in 1987, residing a period in Berlin for a scholarship, and later drew inspiration from Asia – notably Mongolia and China – for books such as The Prisoner of Urga, and another novel.

While developing War and War, he explored across Europe and lived for a time in the legendary poet's New York residence, describing the famous Beat poet's backing as crucial to finishing the book.

Writer's Own Words

Questioned how he would explain his writing in an conversation, Krasznahorkai said: "Characters; then from letters, words; then from these words, some brief phrases; then more sentences that are longer, and in the main very long sentences, for the duration of decades. Beauty in language. Enjoyment in hell."

On readers finding his writing for the initial encounter, he added: "If there are individuals who are new to my works, I would refrain from advising anything to peruse to them; rather, I’d suggest them to go out, rest at a location, perhaps by the edge of a stream, with nothing to do, no thoughts, just staying in silence like rocks. They will in time come across a person who has encountered my novels."

Award Background

Before the announcement, bookmakers had pegged the frontrunners for this year’s honor as Can Xue, an avant garde Chinese novelist, and Krasznahorkai.

The Nobel Prize in Writing has been given on one hundred seventeen past events since the early 20th century. Recent recipients include Ernaux, Dylan, Gurnah, Louise Glück, the Austrian and the Polish author. The most recent honoree was Han Kang, the South Korean author most famous for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will formally be presented with the award and certificate in a event in winter in the Swedish capital.

Updates to come