Congratulations to László Krasznahorkai on receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature

The Slovene Writers’ Association sincerely congratulates László Krasznahorkai on this prestigious recognition. Krasznahorkai was awarded the Vilenica Prize in 2014, and this year, on the occasion of the festival’s 40th anniversary, he was invited as one of the past laureates. Unfortunately, due to health issues, he unfortunately had to cancel his participation.

László Krasznahorkai, born in 1954, is a Hungarian novelist and screenwriter known for difficult and demanding novels, often labeled postmodern, with dystopian and melancholic themes. Several of his works, including his novels Satantango (1985) and The Melancholy of Resistance (1989), have been adapted into feature films by Béla Tarr. Krasznahorkai has received international acclaim from critics. Susan Sontag described him as “the contemporary Hungarian master of apocalypse who inspires comparison with Gogol and Melville”. W. G. Sebald remarked, “The universality of Krasznahorkai’s vision rivals that of Gogol’s Dead Souls and far surpasses all the lesser concerns of contemporary writing.” Krasznahorkai has been honored with numerous literary prizes, among them the highest award of the Hungarian state, the Kossuth Prize, the Man Booker International Prize for his English-translated oeuvre, the National Book Awards and the Vilenica Prize. He lives in Pilisszentlaszlo Hungary, in Trieste (Italy) and in Vienna (Austria).

We wish him good health, unwavering creative strength, and all the very best!

The Slovene Writers’ Association and the Vilenica Festival Organising Team.