László Krasznahorkai Awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature
The coveted Nobel Prize in Literature for 2025 has been awarded to the Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, as declared by the Swedish Academy.
The Academy praised the 71-year-old's "gripping and imaginative oeuvre that, within apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of the arts."
An Esteemed Career of Dystopian Narratives
Krasznahorkai is renowned for his bleak, somber novels, which have earned numerous prizes, for instance the 2019 National Book Award for translated literature and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.
Several of his works, among them his titles Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been turned into movies.
Debut Novel
Born in the Hungarian town of Gyula in 1954, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his 1985 first book Satantango, a bleak and mesmerising representation of a disintegrating countryside settlement.
The novel would later win the Man Booker International Prize recognition in English decades after, in 2013.
A Unique Prose Technique
Often described as postmodern, Krasznahorkai is known for his lengthy, intricate phrases (the dozen sections of his novel each are a solitary block of text), apocalyptic and somber themes, and the kind of unwavering force that has led critics to compare him to Kafka, Melville, and Gogol.
This work was notably transformed into a lengthy movie by filmmaker Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a long working relationship.
"Krasznahorkai is a significant writer of epic tales in the central European tradition that traces back to Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is defined by absurdist elements and grotesque exaggeration," said the Nobel chair, chair of the Nobel panel.
He characterized Krasznahorkai’s prose as having "developed towards … flowing language with extended, meandering sentences without periods that has become his signature."
Expert Opinions
The critic Susan Sontag has called the author as "the modern from Hungary genius of end-times," while WG Sebald applauded the wide appeal of his outlook.
Only a few of Krasznahorkai’s works have been translated into English. The critic Wood once noted that his books "are shared like valuable artifacts."
Global Influences
Krasznahorkai’s professional journey has been molded by journeys as much as by language. He first exited communist Hungary in 1987, staying a period in the city for a scholarship, and later drew inspiration from Asia – especially China and Mongolia – for works such as one of his titles, and Destruction and Sorrow Beneath the Heavens.
While working on War and War, he journeyed extensively across Europe and resided temporarily in the legendary poet's New York home, stating the famous writer's backing as essential to completing the book.
Author's Perspective
Questioned how he would describe his oeuvre in an interview, Krasznahorkai said: "Letters; then from letters, words; then from these words, some brief phrases; then additional phrases that are lengthier, and in the chief very long sentences, for the duration of 35 years. Elegance in writing. Enjoyment in darkness."
On audiences finding his writing for the initial encounter, he continued: "If there are readers who are new to my works, I couldn’t recommend any specific title to read to them; on the contrary, I’d suggest them to go out, rest somewhere, perhaps by the banks of a creek, with nothing to do, no thoughts, just staying in quiet like rocks. They will eventually come across an individual who has already read my novels."
Literature Prize History
Ahead of the reveal, oddsmakers had pegged the top contenders for this year's prize as the Chinese writer, an experimental Chinese novelist, and Krasznahorkai.
The Nobel Prize in Literature has been given on 117 previous occasions since the early 20th century. Current laureates have included Ernaux, the musician, Gurnah, Louise Glück, Peter Handke and Tokarczuk. The previous year's winner was Han Kang, the from South Korea novelist most famous for The Vegetarian.
Krasznahorkai will ceremonially be presented with the prize medal and document in a event in winter in Stockholm, Sweden.
Updates to come
