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The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for this year has been bestowed upon from Hungary author László Krasznahorkai, as revealed by the committee.

The Jury highlighted the seventy-one-year-old's "gripping and imaginative oeuvre that, amidst end-times terror, confirms the power of the arts."

A Renowned Path of Bleak Writing

Krasznahorkai is renowned for his dark, somber novels, which have earned numerous prizes, including the recent National Book Award for literature in translation and the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

Many of his books, including his novels Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been turned into feature films.

Initial Success

Originating in Gyula, Hungary in the mid-1950s, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his 1985 initial work his seminal novel, a bleak and hypnotic depiction of a collapsing village society.

The novel would later win the Man Booker International Prize recognition in the English language decades after, in 2013.

An Unconventional Writing Approach

Frequently labeled as postmodern, Krasznahorkai is renowned for his long, winding sentences (the 12 chapters of his novel each consist of a solitary block of text), apocalyptic and pensive subjects, and the kind of persistent power that has led literary experts to liken him to Kafka, Melville, and Gogol.

The novel was notably made into a lengthy film by director Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a lengthy working relationship.

"He is a remarkable author of grand narratives in the European heritage that traces back to Kafka to the Austrian writer, and is characterised by absurdist elements and bizarre extremes," said Anders Olsson, head of the Nobel committee.

He portrayed Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "developed towards … continuous language with long, winding phrases without punctuation that has become his signature."

Critical Acclaim

Sontag has described the author as "the contemporary from Hungary master of apocalypse," while WG Sebald praised the universality of his outlook.

A handful of Krasznahorkai’s works have been translated into English. The literary critic Wood once noted that his books "get passed around like rare currency."

Global Influences

Krasznahorkai’s literary path has been influenced by exploration as much as by his writing. He first left the communist his homeland in the late 80s, spending a twelve months in West Berlin for a grant, and later was inspired from Eastern Asia – especially Mongolia and China – for books such as a specific work, and his book on China.

While developing this novel, he journeyed extensively across European nations and stayed in the legendary poet's New York apartment, describing the famous Beat poet's backing as vital to completing the book.

Writer's Own Words

Questioned how he would describe his writing in an interview, Krasznahorkai answered: "Letters; then from letters, vocabulary; then from these terms, some concise lines; then further lines that are lengthier, and in the main extremely lengthy paragraphs, for the span of 35 years. Beauty in prose. Fun in despair."

On audiences discovering his writing for the first time, he noted: "Should there be people who are new to my books, I couldn’t recommend a particular book to read to them; on the contrary, I’d suggest them to step out, settle in a place, maybe by the side of a brook, with nothing to do, no thoughts, just remaining in quiet like stones. They will in time encounter an individual who has encountered my novels."

Award Background

Ahead of the reveal, oddsmakers had pegged the favourites for this year's award as the Chinese writer, an innovative from China writer, and Krasznahorkai himself.

The Nobel Prize in Literature has been presented on 117 prior instances since 1901. Latest recipients include the French author, Dylan, Abdulrazak Gurnah, the poet, the Austrian and Tokarczuk. The most recent honoree was Han Kang, the from South Korea author most famous for her acclaimed novel.

Krasznahorkai will ceremonially accept the medal and diploma in a event in December in the Swedish capital.

Updates to come