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No Single Book of László Krasznahorkai
Ever Won Booker International Prize
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Najam-uddin Ahmad
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Although László Krasznahorkai won Booker International Prize 2015 but none of his specific books ever won this prize.
Usually, people think that Booker Foundation award annually single book of an author through nominated judges. They are right in their thinking. But, it is strange to note that no single book of László Krasznahorkai, the Hungarian Booker Prize winner 2015, ever won the prize. Yes, he won the 2015 prize but not for his one book.
Even, in 2018, his novel The World Goes On was on the longlist for the Booker International Prize 2015. As in 2018, the winner of the main Booker Prize was Anna Burns for Milkman, while Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights won the Man Booker International Prize. Nonetheless, it’s not difficult to resolve the issue. We have to just cast a cursory glance over the history of Booker Prize.
From 2005 to 2015, the Man Booker International Prize recognised one writer for their achievement in fiction. The winner was chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel and there were no submissions from publishers. The Prize highlighted one writer’s overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. Hence, the judges considered a writer’s body of work rather than a single novel, focusing on his/her overall literary excellence. And the prize, worth £60,000, was awarded every two years to a living author who had published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language.
Since, László Krasznahorkai had already won world accolade as a postmodern writer. Furthermore, he had also already won numerous prestigious international literary awards for his translated books. Therefore, he was awarded 2015 Man Booker International Prize to recognize his overall literary performance; not just one specific novel. For his “achievement in fiction on the world stage”, specifically recognizing the impact of his books Seiobo There Below and The Melancholy of Resistance, and acknowledging his novel Satantango.
The judges noted the quality of his work: “What strikes the reader above all are the extraordinary sentences, sentences of incredible length that go to incredible lengths, their tone switching from solemn to madcap to quizzical to desolate as they go their wayward way; epic sentences that, like a lint roll, pick up all sorts of odd and unexpected things as they accumulate inexorably into paragraphs that are as monumental as they are scabrous and musical.”
Krasznahorkai chose to split the £15,000 translator’s prize between two translators; George Szirtes (who translated Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance) and Ottilie Mulzet (who translated Seiobo There Below).
Although no single or specific book of László Krasznahorkai won the International Booker Prize but he won most acclaimed award from the Booker Foundation. Krasznahorkai was the last winner under this structure of the Man Booker International Prize. Because, it was changed in 2016.
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Born on June 02, 1971, is an Urdu novelist and short story writer. He did his masters in English Literature from Islamia University, Bahawalpur in 1996.
Work:
So far, Najam-uddin Ahmad has published three novel: Mudfun (The Burials) in 2006, Khoj (The Explore) in 2016, and Saheem (The Partners) in 2019. Apart from this, he has published two collections of short stories: Aao Bhai Khelein (Brother, Let’s play) in 2013 and Fraar aur Doosray Afsanay (Flee and other short stories) in 2017. Furthermore, he has been working on his Urdu novel, Mena Jeet. And, a collection of Urdu Short Stories is also expected soon.
Translations:
Morever, Najam-uddin Ahmad is also renowned for his translations from English to Urdu. And, he has seven books of translations on his credit. As well, among other translations he has recently translated the famous Turk epic “The Book of Dede Korkut” into Urdu, published by the Pakistan Academy of Letters. Simultaneously, he has also translated a good number of Urdu short stories into English.
Awards:
- Writers’ Guild Award, 2013 for Aao Bhai Khelein (Brother, Let’s play)
- And, UBL Excellence Award, 2017 for translation work: Nobel Inamyafta Adeebon Ki Kahanian (Short stories by Nobel Laureates in Literature).
- Also, Qoumi Adabi Award (Hassan Askari Award), 2019 from Pakistan Academy of Letters for Fasana-e-Alam — a collection of short stories by Nobel Laureates in Literature.
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