Hungarian literary luminary László Krasznahorkai has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy officially announced his name on Thursday, October 9, in Stockholm, as confirmed by British news agency Reuters.
According to the Swedish Academy, “László Krasznahorkai is being honored for his visionary and profound literary works, which have reaffirmed the power of art even amid humanity’s apocalyptic fears.”
Born in 1954 in the small Hungarian town of Gyula, near the Romanian border, Krasznahorkai made a literary splash with his first novel, Sátántangó (1985). The novel depicts the uncertainty and despair of impoverished residents living on an abandoned collective farm in pre-socialist Hungary. Sátántangó is widely regarded as a breakthrough in his literary career.
As part of the award, he will receive 11 million Swedish kronor, which laureates typically use to support future research or creative projects.
Notably, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to South Korean writer and poet Han Kang.