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The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for this year has been awarded to Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, as announced by the committee.

The Academy highlighted the seventy-one-year-old's "powerful and prophetic collection that, within end-times dread, reaffirms the power of creative expression."

A Legacy of Bleak Fiction

Krasznahorkai is known for his dystopian, melancholic works, which have won several awards, such as the recent National Book Award for translated literature and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his books, including his novels Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been turned into movies.

Early Beginnings

Born in Gyula, Hungary in 1954, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his mid-80s initial work his seminal novel, a grim and captivating portrayal of a disintegrating countryside settlement.

The novel would eventually earn the Man Booker International Prize recognition in English nearly three decades later, in 2013.

A Unique Literary Style

Commonly referred to as avant-garde, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his extended, meandering sentences (the 12 chapters of the book each are a one paragraph), dystopian and melancholic subjects, and the kind of relentless power that has led reviewers to liken him to Kafka, Melville, and Gogol.

Satantango was widely made into a extended film by cinematic artist Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a enduring creative partnership.

"Krasznahorkai is a significant epic writer in the Central European heritage that includes Kafka to Bernhard, and is characterised by absurdism and grotesque exaggeration," commented the Nobel chair, leader of the Nobel panel.

He portrayed Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "evolved into … flowing language with extended, meandering lines devoid of punctuation that has become his signature."

Expert Opinions

Sontag has described the author as "today's from Hungary genius of the apocalyptic," while the writer W.G. Sebald applauded the wide appeal of his perspective.

A handful of Krasznahorkai’s novels have been rendered in English translation. The literary critic James Wood once noted that his books "get passed around like rare currency."

Global Influences

Krasznahorkai’s professional journey has been shaped by journeys as much as by his writing. He first left socialist his homeland in the late 80s, spending a year in Berlin for a fellowship, and later drew inspiration from Eastern Asia – particularly Asian nations – for books such as one of his titles, and another novel.

While working on this novel, he explored across Europe and lived for a time in the legendary poet's New York apartment, noting the renowned Beat poet's assistance as crucial to finishing the work.

Author's Perspective

Asked how he would describe his oeuvre in an conversation, Krasznahorkai said: "Characters; then from these characters, words; then from these terms, some short sentences; then more sentences that are lengthier, and in the chief very long paragraphs, for the span of 35 years. Elegance in prose. Enjoyment in darkness."

On fans finding his work for the initial encounter, he continued: "For any individuals who have not yet read my works, I couldn’t recommend a particular book to read to them; rather, I’d advise them to go out, settle at a location, perhaps by the banks of a creek, with no tasks, nothing to think about, just staying in tranquility like stones. They will eventually meet an individual who has encountered my works."

Literature Prize History

Prior to the declaration, betting agencies had pegged the favourites for this annual award as an avant-garde author, an experimental from China writer, and Krasznahorkai himself.

The Nobel Award in Writing has been presented on over a hundred previous occasions since 1901. Latest laureates have included Ernaux, Dylan, Gurnah, Glück, the Austrian and Tokarczuk. Last year’s recipient was Han Kang, the from South Korea novelist most famous for her acclaimed novel.

Krasznahorkai will ceremonially accept the award and diploma in a ceremony in winter in Stockholm, Sweden.

Additional details forthcoming