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

The Academy commended the 71-year-old's "powerful and prophetic body of work that, in the midst of end-times terror, confirms the power of the arts."

A Legacy of Bleak Fiction

Krasznahorkai is celebrated for his dark, melancholic works, which have garnered several prizes, such as the recent National Book Award for international writing and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.

Many of his novels, among them his fictional works his debut and another major work, have been made into movies.

Debut Novel

Born in a Hungarian locale in 1954, Krasznahorkai first made his mark with his 1985 first book Satantango, a dark and mesmerising representation of a disintegrating countryside settlement.

The novel would go on to win the Man Booker International Prize award in English nearly three decades later, in 2013.

An Unconventional Literary Style

Often described as postmodern, Krasznahorkai is known for his long, winding prose (the dozen sections of the book each comprise a single paragraph), apocalyptic and pensive motifs, and the kind of unwavering intensity that has led reviewers to compare him to Gogol, Melville and Kafka.

This work was widely made into a lengthy motion picture by cinematic artist Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a lengthy working relationship.

"The author is a great writer of epic tales in the central European literary tradition that extends through Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is characterised by the absurd and bizarre extremes," said Anders Olsson, head of the Nobel panel.

He portrayed Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "progressed to … smooth structure with long, winding lines devoid of full stops that has become his trademark."

Literary Praise

Susan Sontag has described the author as "the modern Hungarian expert of apocalypse," while Sebald commended the broad relevance of his vision.

Just a small number of Krasznahorkai’s works have been published in the English language. The literary critic James Wood once remarked that his books "get passed around like valuable artifacts."

Worldwide Travels

Krasznahorkai’s career has been molded by travel as much as by language. He first exited communist Hungary in the late 80s, staying a year in the city for a grant, and later found inspiration from Eastern Asia – notably Asian nations – for works such as The Prisoner of Urga, and his book on China.

While working on War and War, he explored across European nations and stayed in Ginsberg's New York residence, stating the renowned poet's backing as essential to completing the book.

Author's Perspective

Inquired how he would explain his oeuvre in an discussion, Krasznahorkai responded: "Letters; then from letters, vocabulary; then from these terms, some concise lines; then additional phrases that are more extended, and in the chief extremely lengthy sentences, for the duration of 35 years. Elegance in language. Enjoyment in despair."

On audiences finding his books for the initial encounter, he added: "For any people who haven’t read my novels, I couldn’t recommend anything to explore to them; on the contrary, I’d advise them to step out, rest in a place, maybe by the banks of a creek, with no tasks, no thoughts, just staying in silence like boulders. They will in time encounter someone who has encountered my works."

Literature Prize History

Before the announcement, oddsmakers had pegged the favourites for this year's award as Can Xue, an avant garde from China novelist, and Krasznahorkai himself.

The Nobel Prize in Literary Arts has been awarded on over a hundred previous occasions since the early 20th century. Recent winners include the French author, the musician, Gurnah, Glück, the Austrian and Olga Tokarczuk. The most recent winner was Han Kang, the South Korean novelist best known for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will formally be presented with the medal and diploma in a event in December in Stockholm, Sweden.

Updates to come