The Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 has been awarded to Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai. The Swedish Academy recognised his work “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.”
Krasznahorkai, born in 1954, is the second Hungarian to receive the prestigious literary award, following Imre Kertész, who won in 2002.
The author gained international acclaim with his 1985 postmodern novel, Satantango. The book, a bleak tale about the end of the world, was later adapted into a notable seven-hour, black-and-white drama in 1994 by Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr.
Krasznahorkai’s prolific career includes five novels and numerous accolades. He was honored with the Man Booker International Prize in 2015 and the 2013 best translated book award in Fiction for Satantango.
His other significant works include: The Melancholy of Resistance (1989), War and War (1999) and Seiobo There Below (2008).
The award announcement was made on Thursday, 9 October 2025, as part of the annual Nobel Prize announcements.
