László Krasznahorkai

Quick facts for kids László Krasznahorkai
Born	(1954-01-05) 5 January 1954 (age 71) Gyula, Hungary
Occupation	Novelist, screenwriter
Language	Hungarian, German
Education	József Attila University Eötvös Loránd University
Period	1985–present
Genre	Novels, short stories, screenplays
Literary movement	Postmodernism
Notable awards	Kossuth Prize (2004) Man Booker International Prize (2015) Nobel Prize in Literature (2025)
Children	3

László Krasznahorkai (born 5 January 1954) is a famous Hungarian writer and screenwriter. He is known for his unique and thoughtful novels. These books often explore serious ideas about society and human feelings. Many people consider his writing to be part of postmodern literature.

Several of his works have been made into movies. For example, his novels Satantango (1985) and The Melancholy of Resistance (1989) became films. These were directed by his friend, Béla Tarr. In October 2025, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. The prize recognized his powerful and imaginative writing. It celebrated how his art shows strength even in difficult times.

About László Krasznahorkai

His Early Life and Education

László Krasznahorkai was born on January 5, 1954, in Gyula, a town in eastern Hungary. His father, György Krasznahorkai, was a lawyer. His mother, Júlia Pálinkás, worked in social security. His family has a Jewish background.

He finished high school in 1972, where he focused on Latin. In 1973, he started studying law at József Attila University. Later, in 1976, he moved to Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. He continued his law studies there until 1978. From 1978 to 1983, he studied Hungarian language and literature. He earned his degree from the ELTE Faculty of Humanities. His final project was about the writer Sándor Márai. Márai had to leave Hungary after 1948.

Becoming a Writer

After finishing his studies, Krasznahorkai became a full-time writer. His first novel, Sátántangó, came out in 1985. It was an instant success in Hungary. This book made him a very important writer in Hungarian literature. An English version of Sátántangó later won the Best Translated Book Award in 2013.

Travels and New Ideas

In 1987, Krasznahorkai traveled outside Hungary for the first time. He went to West Berlin on a special scholarship. After the end of the Eastern Bloc, he began to travel widely. He lived in many different places around the world.

His first long trip to East Asia in 1990 greatly influenced his writing. His experiences in Mongolia and China inspired books like The Prisoner of Urga. He also spent time in Kyoto, Japan, in 1996, 2000, and 2005. The art and ideas from the Far East changed his writing style and themes. While writing War and War, he traveled across Europe. The American poet Allen Ginsberg even gave him advice in New York.

Working with Filmmakers

His novel The Melancholy of Resistance (1989) won a German literary prize in 1993. In 1996, he was a fellow at a special institute in Berlin.

Krasznahorkai has a close friendship with filmmaker Béla Tarr. They have worked together on several films. Their first film together was Sátántangó in 1994. Other films include Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) and The Turin Horse (2011). Krasznahorkai said The Turin Horse was their last movie together. He has also worked with artist Max Neumann on illustrated books. One example is the novella Chasing Homer (2021).

Important writers have praised Krasznahorkai's work. For instance, Susan Sontag called him a "contemporary Hungarian master." She compared him to famous authors like Gogol and Melville.

Awards and Recognition

László Krasznahorkai has received many important literary awards. In 2015, he became the first Hungarian author to win the Man Booker International Prize. Most recently, he was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Here are some of his other awards:

• 1987: Attila József Prize
• 1993: Bestenliste-Prize for The Melancholy of Resistance
• 2004: Kossuth Prize
• 2013: Best Translated Book Award for Satantango
• 2014: America Award in Literature for his lifetime work
• 2014: Best Translated Book Award for Seiobo There Below (he was the first author to win this award twice)
• 2014: Vilenica Prize
• 2015: Man Booker International Prize
• 2019: National Book Award for Translated Literature for Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming
• 2021: Austrian State Prize for European Literature
• 2024: Prix Formentor
• 2025: Nobel Prize in Literature

His Books and Films

László Krasznahorkai has written many different types of stories. These include long novels, shorter novellas, and collections of short stories. He has also written screenplays for films.

Novels by Krasznahorkai

• Satantango (1985)
• The Melancholy of Resistance (1989)
• The Prisoner of Urga (1992)
• War & War (1999)
• Destruction and Sorrow Beneath the Heavens (2004)
• Seiobo There Below (2008)
• Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming (2016)
• Herscht 07769 (2021)

Shorter Stories and Novellas

Krasznahorkai has also written many shorter works. These include novellas and collections of short stories.

• A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East (2003)
• The Last Wolf (2009)
• Animalinside (2010)
• Spadework for a Palace (2018)
• Chasing Homer (2019)
• Relations of Grace (1986) - a collection of short stories
• The World Goes On (2013) - another collection of short stories

Films Based on His Work

Several of Krasznahorkai's stories have been turned into films. These movies were directed by Béla Tarr.

• Damnation (1988)
• Sátántangó (1994)
• Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)
• The Man from London (2007)
• The Turin Horse (2011)

Life Outside Writing

László Krasznahorkai was married to Anikó Pelyhe. Later, he married Dóra Kopcsányi, who is an expert in Chinese culture and a graphic designer. He has three children.

He lived in Berlin for some years. There, he was a visiting professor at the Free University of Berlin. Now, he lives a quiet life in the hills of Szentlászló, back in Hungary.

See also

In Spanish: László Krasznahorkai para niños