Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced on Thursday. The 71-year-old's work, celebrated for its compelling and visionary nature, explores themes of apocalyptic terror and the power of art. His novel 'Satantango', a haunting and intricately structured masterpiece, depicts a group of people in a decaying Hungarian village, led by a charismatic man who returns under mysterious circumstances. This novel was adapted into a seven-hour film by Hungarian director Bela Tarr, regarded as one of the best arthouse films ever made. Krasznahorkai's writing style, characterized by long sentences and unbroken paragraphs, has drawn comparisons to literary giants like Franz Kafka, Herman Melville, and Nikolai Gogol. His travels across Europe and East Asia have influenced his works, including 'The Prisoner of Urga' and 'Destruction and Sorrow Beneath the Heavens'. The author's previous accolades include the 2019 National Book Award for translated literature and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize. His novels 'Satantango' and 'The Melancholy of Resistance' have been adapted into feature films. The Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded 121 times since 1901, has faced criticism for its focus on European and North American writers, as well as its male-dominated history. The 2025 prize carries an award of 11 million Swedish kronor, an 18-carat gold medal, and a diploma. Krasznahorkai will receive the medal and diploma in a December ceremony in Stockholm.
