Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai wins 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature
Hungarian novelist and essayist László Krasznahorkai has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature category
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (MNTV) — Hungarian novelist and essayist László Krasznahorkai has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature for what the Swedish Academy described as his “compelling and visionary” body of work that reaffirms the transformative power of art even in moments of terror.
The Academy’s phrase “even in moments of terror” refers to Krasznahorkai’s belief that art can outlast destruction. His novels often unfold in times of fear, oppression, or moral decay, yet they insist that creativity and reflection remain humanity’s final refuge.
In his novels, characters live through war, tyranny, and moral decay, yet they still think, create, or dream. That act of imagination itself becomes resistance — proof that art and thought can survive when everything else fails.
Announcing the award in Stockholm, the Nobel committee praised the 71-year-old author for his profound literary style and moral vision that illuminate how individuals endure amid social collapse and despair.
The Academy said his writing “captures the experience of dark and chaotic times” while affirming the human capacity for imagination and hope.
Krasznahorkai, who first gained international recognition with his 1985 novel Sátántangó, is known for his long, flowing sentences, hypnotic rhythms, and apocalyptic landscapes.
His stories depict societies unraveling under the weight of moral decay and corruption, yet they consistently return to the idea that thought, art, and spiritual reflection can sustain humanity when everything else crumbles.
Born in Gyula, Hungary, in 1954, Krasznahorkai began writing during the oppressive years of Communist rule, when surveillance and censorship deeply influenced his worldview.
His early works convey both the bleakness of that period and a quiet defiance of systems that crush individuality. Later in his career, he turned toward Eastern philosophies and aesthetics, finding inspiration in Japanese and Chinese art, which informed his acclaimed novel Seiobo There Below.
Critics have often compared his writing to the works of Franz Kafka and Thomas Bernhard for its philosophical intensity and dark humor. Yet Krasznahorkai has resisted political labels, positioning himself instead as a writer of moral and existential questions.
He has said literature’s purpose is not to provide answers, but to keep asking difficult questions about meaning, faith, and endurance.
The author’s partnership with Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr brought several of his novels to global audiences through celebrated film adaptations such as Werckmeister Harmonies and Sátántangó.
His later novels, including The Melancholy of Resistance and Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming, further established him as one of Europe’s most original voices.
Before the Nobel, Krasznahorkai received major international honors, including the Man Booker International Prize in 2015 and the US National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2019.
In awarding him the Nobel, the Swedish Academy emphasized that Krasznahorkai’s fiction “challenges readers to confront despair without yielding to it,” reflecting a belief that beauty and thought can still emerge from ruin.
The prize includes a gold medal, diploma, and 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1.2 million) in prize money.
The official Nobel ceremony will take place on December 10 in Stockholm, marking the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
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