The Swedish Academy awarded Hungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature, praising his work for reaffirming the power of art in the face of despair.

Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced on Thursday. The Academy recognized his “compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.”

Born in Gyula, Hungary in 1954, Krasznahorkai gained international acclaim with his debut novel Sátántangó (1985), later adapted for film by acclaimed Hungarian director Béla Tarr. His subsequent works — including The Melancholy of Resistance, War & War, A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, and Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming — established him as one of Central Europe’s most distinctive literary voices.

Described by the Swedish Academy as a “great epic writer in the Central European tradition,” Krasznahorkai’s style merges philosophical reflection, absurdism, and grotesque imagery. His writing is often compared to that of Franz Kafka and Thomas Bernhard, while his journeys across China and Japan added a contemplative and spiritual dimension to his prose.

Western literary critics have responded with both admiration and caution.

Many highlighted the existential depth of his works, noting their portrayal of a world teetering between chaos and meaning. Others pointed to the difficulty of his long, winding sentences and the bleak tone that permeates his novels.

Media outlets such as The Guardian and Le Monde interpreted the Nobel decision as a recognition of Eastern European voices long overshadowed by Western narratives. Some also recalled Krasznahorkai’s subtle political commentaries on modern Hungary’s social and moral landscape.

Krasznahorkai is the second Hungarian writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, following Imre Kertész in 2002. The award ceremony will take place on 10 December 2025 in Stockholm.(ILKHA)