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The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for the year 2025 has been bestowed upon Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, as announced by the committee.

The Committee commended the seventy-one-year-old's "gripping and imaginative oeuvre that, in the midst of end-times dread, reaffirms the force of creative expression."

An Esteemed Career of Apocalyptic Narratives

Krasznahorkai is renowned for his dystopian, somber works, which have earned many accolades, such as the 2019 National Book Award for international writing and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

Several of his works, among them his novels his debut and another major work, have been turned into cinematic works.

Early Beginnings

Hailing in the Hungarian town of Gyula in 1954, Krasznahorkai first made his mark with his 1985 debut novel Satantango, a dark and captivating portrayal of a collapsing village society.

The book would later win the Man Booker International Prize honor in translation nearly three decades later, in 2013.

A Distinctive Prose Technique

Frequently labeled as postmodernist, Krasznahorkai is known for his lengthy, intricate phrases (the 12 chapters of Satantango each are a solitary block of text), bleak and melancholic themes, and the kind of relentless power that has led reviewers to liken him to Gogol, Melville and Kafka.

This work was widely made into a extended movie by cinematic artist Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a enduring artistic collaboration.

"The author is a remarkable writer of epic tales in the European literary tradition that extends through Kafka to Bernhard, and is marked by the absurd and grotesque excess," stated the committee chair, chair of the Nobel panel.

He described Krasznahorkai’s prose as having "evolved into … flowing syntax with extended, meandering sentences lacking punctuation that has become his hallmark."

Expert Opinions

Susan Sontag has called the author as "the modern Hungarian master of end-times," while WG Sebald praised the broad relevance of his outlook.

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

International Inspiration

Krasznahorkai’s professional journey has been molded by journeys as much as by language. He first departed from the communist the country in the late 80s, spending a twelve months in West Berlin for a fellowship, and later drew inspiration from east Asia – especially Mongolia and China – for works such as The Prisoner of Urga, and his book on China.

While writing this novel, he journeyed extensively across Europe and lived for a time in Allen Ginsberg’s New York apartment, stating the famous writer's backing as essential to finishing the work.

Krasznahorkai on His Work

Questioned how he would explain his work in an interview, Krasznahorkai answered: "Letters; then from letters, words; then from these terms, some brief phrases; then further lines that are more extended, and in the chief very long phrases, for the duration of 35 years. Elegance in language. Enjoyment in hell."

On fans finding his work for the first time, he noted: "For any individuals who haven’t read my books, I couldn’t recommend a particular book to read to them; rather, I’d suggest them to step out, rest in a place, perhaps by the side of a brook, with no obligations, no thoughts, just remaining in silence like boulders. They will sooner or later encounter someone who has encountered my novels."

Literature Prize History

Prior to the declaration, oddsmakers had ranked the top contenders for this year's honor as Can Xue, an experimental from China writer, and Krasznahorkai.

The Nobel Award in Writing has been presented on over a hundred previous occasions since 1901. Recent winners are Annie Ernaux, Dylan, the Tanzanian-born writer, Glück, the Austrian and Tokarczuk. The most recent recipient was the South Korean writer, the Korean writer renowned for her acclaimed novel.

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

Updates to come