Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai, celebrated for his 1985 novel Satantango, has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Literature.
Following three consecutive days of Nobel prizes recognising scientific achievements, the literature honour was revealed by the Nobel Committee at the Swedish Academy on Thursday.
Krasznahorkai's dystopian fiction has garnered multiple accolades, including the 2019 National Book Award for Translated Literature and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize. A number of his works, such as Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been transformed into feature films.
Among other writers thought to be contenders for the prize were Norwegian Wood author Haruki Murakami, Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, British-American novelist Salman Rushdie, and Chinese experimental writer Can Xue.
Annually, thousands of academy members, university academics, scientists, past Nobel laureates, and parliamentary representatives are invited to propose candidates for the Nobel Prizes. Nominee identities remain confidential for 50 years.
The previous year's prize was awarded to Han Kang, a South Korean writer internationally recognised for The Vegetarian and Human Acts. The Nobel committee selected Han for her "intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life".
Each prize includes a monetary award of 11 million Swedish kronor (£870,000), alongside an 18-carat gold medal and a diploma.
