Nobel laureate Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai Photo: VCG

The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2025 has been awarded to Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, honored "for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art," the Swedish Academy announced Thursday.

The Swedish Academy described him as "a great epic writer in the Central European tradition that extends through Kafka to Thomas Bernhard." He "is characterized by absurdism and grotesque excess. But there are more strings to his bow, and he also looks to the East in adopting a more contemplative, finely calibrated tone."

Steve Sem-Sandberg, a member of the Nobel Committee for Literature, said Krasznahorkai has maintained a remarkably consistent and high-quality output throughout his four decades of writing. He noted that few authors manage to sustain such a level of excellence over so long a career.

Sem-Sandberg also highlighted that Krasznahorkai's work continues a European tradition of dense, epic novels featuring vivid characters and apocalyptic settings.

The Hungarian novelist holds a deep interest in Chinese culture and has visited China many times, according to an interview with his Chinese translator Yu Zemin published by the Beijing News in 2020. Krasznahorkai has also written several books inspired by his travels to China.

In 1991, Krasznahorkai visited China as a journalist and became fascinated with Chinese culture and he described China as "the last living museum of humanity." That trip was a deeply moving experience for Krasznahorkai, Yu recalled in the interview.

After returning to Budapest, the author not only had his whole family start using chopsticks for meals, but wherever he went, he collected books related to China and kept up with news about the country. He ate Chinese food when dining out, listened to Peking Opera at home, and would unconsciously bring up China in conversations with anyone. Per the report, he is especially fascinated by ancient China and has read the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu and admires the famous Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Li Bai.

In a conversation with Yu, he said that Li Bai is his favorite Chinese poet.

In a 2017 interview with the Beijing News, Krasznahorkai said that he loves Li Bai for his boldness and themes of wine, the moon, and life's journeys, as well as for his dynamic rhythm and unbridled wandering spirit. He admires Li Bai so much that, once, together with Yu, he took a long journey following the places Li had traveled.

In the interview, Krasznahorkai also expressed gratitude that Hungarian literature - written in a language spoken by only about 10 million people, has found a wide readership in the vast and refined Chinese culture.

The Hungarian author also has a Chinese name, Haoqiu, which means "beautiful hill" in Chinese and reflects his admiration for Confucius.

Born in 1954 in the small town of Gyula in southeastern Hungary near the Romanian border, Krasznahorkai achieved his literary breakthrough with his debut novel Satantango (1985). The book became a sensation in Hungary and established him as one of Central Europe's most distinctive literary voices.

Global Times