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The world-renowned Nobel Prize in Literature for this year has been awarded to Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, as declared by the Swedish Academy.

The Academy praised the author's "powerful and prophetic oeuvre that, amidst end-times fear, reasserts the force of the arts."

An Esteemed Career of Dystopian Fiction

Krasznahorkai is celebrated for his bleak, pensive books, which have garnered many accolades, for instance the recent National Book Award for translated literature and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.

Several of his novels, among them his novels Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been turned into cinematic works.

Initial Success

Hailing in a Hungarian locale in 1954, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his mid-80s initial work his seminal novel, a dark and hypnotic representation of a disintegrating village society.

The novel would eventually secure the Man Booker International Prize honor in English decades after, in 2013.

A Unique Prose Technique

Frequently labeled as postmodernist, Krasznahorkai is known for his extended, meandering phrases (the 12 chapters of his novel each consist of a one paragraph), apocalyptic and melancholic motifs, and the kind of unwavering intensity that has led reviewers to liken him to Gogol, Melville and Kafka.

The novel was notably transformed into a lengthy movie by cinematic artist Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a enduring working relationship.

"He is a great author of grand narratives in the European literary tradition that extends through Kafka to the Austrian writer, and is characterised by absurdism and grotesque excess," said the committee chair, head of the Nobel jury.

He portrayed Krasznahorkai’s style as having "progressed to … continuous language with lengthy, intricate sentences without full stops that has become his signature."

Expert Opinions

The critic Susan Sontag has called the author as "today's Hungarian master of end-times," while the writer W.G. Sebald applauded the universality of his vision.

A handful of Krasznahorkai’s works have been translated into English. The literary critic James Wood once noted that his books "circulate like precious items."

Global Influences

Krasznahorkai’s career has been influenced by exploration as much as by literature. He first departed from socialist his homeland in the late 80s, residing a twelve months in West Berlin for a grant, and later was inspired from east Asia – particularly China and Mongolia – for works such as one of his titles, and Destruction and Sorrow Beneath the Heavens.

While developing War and War, he travelled widely across Europe and lived for a time in the legendary poet's New York residence, describing the legendary Beat poet's support as crucial to completing the work.

Author's Perspective

Questioned how he would explain his work in an discussion, Krasznahorkai said: "Letters; then from letters, words; then from these terms, some concise lines; then further lines that are longer, and in the primary very long phrases, for the span of decades. Elegance in language. Fun in hell."

On readers encountering his writing for the initial encounter, he noted: "For any readers who haven’t read my novels, I would refrain from advising anything to explore to them; rather, I’d suggest them to venture outside, rest at a location, maybe by the edge of a stream, with no tasks, no thoughts, just being in tranquility like boulders. They will eventually meet someone who has encountered my works."

Award Background

Before the announcement, betting agencies had pegged the top contenders for this year's award as the Chinese writer, an avant garde from China author, and Krasznahorkai himself.

The Nobel Honor in Writing has been given on one hundred seventeen previous occasions since 1901. Latest winners have included Annie Ernaux, Dylan, Gurnah, the poet, the Austrian and Olga Tokarczuk. The most recent honoree was Han Kang, the from South Korea novelist renowned for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will officially receive the prize medal and certificate in a function in December in Stockholm.

Updates to come