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The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for the year 2025 has been awarded to from Hungary author László Krasznahorkai, as declared by the committee.

The Committee commended the seventy-one-year-old's "powerful and prophetic body of work that, within apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the force of the arts."

A Renowned Path of Apocalyptic Narratives

Krasznahorkai is celebrated for his dark, pensive works, which have earned several awards, for instance the 2019 National Book Award for international writing and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.

Many of his works, among them his novels his debut and another major work, have been made into movies.

Debut Novel

Born in the Hungarian town of Gyula in 1954, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his 1985 initial work Satantango, a bleak and mesmerising representation of a collapsing village society.

The work would eventually win the Man Booker International Prize honor in English many years later, in the 2010s.

A Distinctive Writing Approach

Commonly referred to as postmodern, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his lengthy, intricate prose (the 12 chapters of Satantango each comprise a single paragraph), dystopian and melancholic themes, and the kind of persistent intensity that has led literary experts to liken him to literary giants like Kafka.

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

"He is a great author of grand narratives in the Central European heritage that includes Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is characterised by absurdism and grotesque excess," said the committee chair, leader of the Nobel jury.

He characterized Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "evolved into … continuous structure with extended, meandering phrases devoid of full stops that has become his hallmark."

Critical Acclaim

Sontag has described the author as "the contemporary Hungarian master of apocalypse," while Sebald commended the broad relevance of his vision.

A handful of Krasznahorkai’s novels have been rendered in the English language. The reviewer James Wood once wrote that his books "are shared like precious items."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s professional journey has been molded by travel as much as by literature. He first left communist his homeland in 1987, residing a period in the city for a scholarship, and later drew inspiration from east Asia – particularly China and Mongolia – for books such as a specific work, and another novel.

While writing this novel, he explored across the continent and stayed in Allen Ginsberg’s New York residence, describing the renowned poet's support as essential to completing the book.

Author's Perspective

Inquired how he would describe his writing in an discussion, Krasznahorkai said: "Letters; then from these characters, vocabulary; then from these terms, some short sentences; then more sentences that are more extended, and in the main exceptionally extended phrases, for the period of three and a half decades. Beauty in prose. Fun in darkness."

On fans finding his books for the initial encounter, he continued: "Should there be people who have not yet read my books, I couldn’t recommend any specific title to explore to them; rather, I’d recommend them to go out, settle somewhere, possibly by the edge of a stream, with no tasks, a clear mind, just staying in quiet like rocks. They will sooner or later come across a person who has already read my works."

Literature Prize History

Before the announcement, betting agencies had pegged the top contenders for this annual award as an avant-garde author, an avant garde from China novelist, and the Hungarian.

The Nobel Honor in Literary Arts has been presented on 117 past events since 1901. Recent winners are Ernaux, Bob Dylan, Gurnah, the poet, Handke and Tokarczuk. The most recent winner was the South Korean writer, the South Korean writer most famous for her acclaimed novel.

Krasznahorkai will ceremonially receive the medal and document in a ceremony in winter in the Swedish capital.

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