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

The Academy praised the author's "compelling and visionary oeuvre that, amidst end-times dread, reasserts the power of creative expression."

An Esteemed Career of Apocalyptic Narratives

Krasznahorkai is celebrated for his bleak, pensive novels, which have won several prizes, such as the 2019 National Book Award for translated literature and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his novels, among them his titles his debut and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been turned into feature films.

Debut Novel

Born in the Hungarian town of Gyula in 1954, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his mid-80s debut novel Satantango, a grim and mesmerising depiction of a disintegrating rural community.

The work would eventually secure the Man Booker International Prize award in the English language nearly three decades later, in 2013.

An Unconventional Writing Approach

Frequently labeled as postmodernist, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his lengthy, intricate prose (the 12 chapters of the book each consist of a one paragraph), bleak and somber motifs, and the kind of relentless intensity that has led reviewers to compare him to literary giants like Kafka.

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

"He is a remarkable writer of epic tales in the Central European literary tradition that includes Franz Kafka to Bernhard, and is characterised by the absurd and grotesque excess," stated Anders Olsson, leader of the Nobel jury.

He described Krasznahorkai’s style as having "progressed to … continuous structure with long, winding lines without periods that has become his trademark."

Expert Opinions

The critic Susan Sontag has referred to the author as "the contemporary Hungarian genius of apocalypse," while WG Sebald applauded the wide appeal of his outlook.

A handful of Krasznahorkai’s works have been translated into the English language. The critic James Wood once wrote that his books "circulate like valuable artifacts."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s literary path has been influenced by journeys as much as by his writing. He first left socialist the country in 1987, residing a year in Berlin for a scholarship, and later was inspired from Asia – particularly Mongolia and China – for works such as one of his titles, and Destruction and Sorrow Beneath the Heavens.

While writing War and War, he travelled widely across the continent and lived for a time in the legendary poet's New York apartment, stating the legendary writer's support as essential to finishing the novel.

Writer's Own Words

Asked how he would describe his writing in an discussion, Krasznahorkai said: "Characters; then from letters, vocabulary; then from these terms, some brief phrases; then further lines that are longer, and in the chief very long sentences, for the period of decades. Elegance in prose. Enjoyment in darkness."

On audiences finding his work for the first time, he noted: "For any individuals who have not yet read my novels, I would refrain from advising a particular book to explore to them; rather, I’d advise them to go out, sit down at a location, possibly by the side of a brook, with nothing to do, no thoughts, just remaining in tranquility like rocks. They will sooner or later meet someone who has previously read my novels."

Literature Prize History

Ahead of the reveal, bookmakers had ranked the frontrunners for this year's prize as the Chinese writer, an avant garde from China novelist, and the Hungarian.

The Nobel Award in Literature has been awarded on over a hundred prior instances since 1901. Recent laureates are the French author, Bob Dylan, the Tanzanian-born writer, Louise Glück, Peter Handke and the Polish author. The previous year's recipient was Han Kang, the Korean writer most famous for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will officially be presented with the prize medal and document in a event in the month of December in the Swedish capital.

Updates to come