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The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for 2025 has been awarded to the Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, as declared by the Swedish Academy.

The Jury praised the author's "gripping and imaginative body of work that, amidst apocalyptic fear, reaffirms the strength of the arts."

A Renowned Path of Dystopian Fiction

Krasznahorkai is known for his dystopian, pensive novels, which have garnered several awards, such as the recent National Book Award for literature in translation and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his works, notably his titles his debut and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been turned into movies.

Early Beginnings

Originating in a Hungarian locale in the mid-1950s, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his 1985 first book Satantango, a dark and hypnotic depiction of a failing countryside settlement.

The novel would eventually win the Man Booker International Prize honor in English many years later, in 2013.

A Distinctive Prose Technique

Commonly referred to as avant-garde, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his extended, meandering prose (the 12 chapters of Satantango each comprise a solitary block of text), dystopian and pensive subjects, and the kind of unwavering force that has led literary experts to liken him to Kafka, Melville, and Gogol.

The novel was notably made into a extended film by cinematic artist the director Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a lengthy artistic collaboration.

"The author is a remarkable writer of epic tales in the European heritage that includes Kafka to the Austrian writer, and is defined by absurdist elements and bizarre extremes," commented the Nobel chair, head of the Nobel committee.

He portrayed Krasznahorkai’s prose as having "developed towards … flowing language with lengthy, intricate lines without periods that has become his signature."

Critical Acclaim

Susan Sontag has described the author as "today's Hungarian expert of apocalypse," while Sebald applauded the universality of his perspective.

A handful of Krasznahorkai’s books have been translated into English translation. The reviewer Wood once remarked that his books "are shared like valuable artifacts."

Global Influences

Krasznahorkai’s literary path has been shaped by travel as much as by language. He first left communist his homeland in 1987, staying a period in Berlin for a scholarship, and later found inspiration from Asia – especially China and Mongolia – for novels such as one of his titles, and another novel.

While writing this novel, he travelled widely across the continent and stayed in Ginsberg's New York residence, stating the famous poet's support as crucial to finishing the work.

Krasznahorkai on His Work

Inquired how he would characterize his work in an conversation, Krasznahorkai answered: "Letters; then from letters, vocabulary; then from these terms, some brief phrases; then more sentences that are lengthier, and in the chief very long paragraphs, for the duration of three and a half decades. Beauty in language. Enjoyment in despair."

On readers encountering his books for the first time, he added: "Should there be people who are new to my works, I couldn’t recommend anything to explore to them; instead, I’d recommend them to go out, sit down somewhere, perhaps by the side of a brook, with no obligations, a clear mind, just staying in tranquility like rocks. They will eventually come across a person who has already read my works."

Award Background

Before the announcement, betting agencies had ranked the favourites for this annual honor as an avant-garde author, an avant garde Chinese novelist, and Krasznahorkai.

The Nobel Award in Literary Arts has been given on over a hundred previous occasions since the early 20th century. Latest laureates are Ernaux, Bob Dylan, the Tanzanian-born writer, Glück, Peter Handke and Olga Tokarczuk. The previous year's recipient was Han Kang, the Korean author renowned for her acclaimed novel.

Krasznahorkai will ceremonially receive the award and document in a ceremony in December in Stockholm, Sweden.

Updates to come