I produced a list of the six most popular basic themes to be found in lyrical poetry, ranking them, as I went along, in order of frequency. These were the candidates: 1. You are beautiful and I love you; 2. You don’t love me; 3. I don’t love you; 4. I am immortal; 5. Carpe diem; 6. The changes of the seasons.
Our Hungarian readers may have some unpleasant flashbacks with this week's continuation of our Starter Pack series. But despite many readers' distaste for Zsigmond Móricz's Be Faithful Unto Death when encountering it in the schoolroom, Hanna Zelma Horányi reminds us that it remains an important novel in the history of Hungarian literature.
Klaus Kellerwessel: Two Poems
"who said that Sodom / burns? / your eyes? your gods? / close them now" — Two poems from Hungarian poet Klaus Kellerwessel's 2023 volume, The Falling Porcelain Behind Me (Hátam mögött a hulló porcelán), in Austin Wagner's translation.
János Marno: Grab onto the water II.
". . . it’s like time itself were moulded into a body and face, each slightly different, and was pushing these masks around the space, in space, until these bussed-about individuals finally caved in" – part two of Litera's 2017 longform interview with Hungarian poet János Marno.
Forthcoming: László Krasznahorkai's Herscht 07769
The International Booker Prize-winning author László Krasznahorkai's novel Herscht 07769 is to be published in Ottilie Mulzet's translation by US publishing house New Directions this autumn.
János Marno: Grab onto the water I.
"Paradigms crumble and new, terrifying paradigms emerge, I’d even hesitate to say that in these moments nuclear processes are under way like in any other part of the universe..." – read part one of Litera's 2017 longform interview with Hungarian poet János Marno.
Mosaic Women's Fates
"Puskás expresses herself cleverly and cuts straight to the bone, but with all the required sensitivity and empathy. Her rawness and boldness are staggering" — Petra Baluja's review of the 2024 EUPL-nominated novel Megmenteni bárkit (That Any Might Be Saved) by Panni Puskás.
Antal Szerb: Journey by Moonlight
In our Starter Pack series, we hope to acquaint readers with some of Hungarian literature's most beloved and quoted literary works. In this second article, Hanna Zelma Horányi introduces the beloved novel Journey by Moonlight by Antal Szerb.
Alexandra Grela: The world is amazing so I try to recreate it
"I draw inspiration from classical paintings, folk costumes and motifs, photos I find on the internet, and generally from the world around me. The world is amazing and fascinating, so I try to recreate all that from my point of view." - Hungarian illustrator Alexandra Grela answers Dóra Vincze's questions for our interview series: Stories Drawn to Life.
László Krasznahorkai wins Formentor Literature Prize
László Krasznahorkai wins the Spanish Formentor Literature Prize for the popularization of the heritage of the Hungarian language and for the virtuosity of his elegant writing.
EBRD Literary Prize: Two Hungarian Works Shortlisted
The shortlist for this year's EBRD Literary Prize was just announced, with two Hungarian works – Attila Bartis' The End in Judith Sollosy's translation, and Krisztina Tóth's Barcode in Peter Sherwood's translation – in the running for the €20,000 prize.
Hungarian Classics in Translation: Part Two
Our introduction to classic Hungarian novels available in English translation continues with Gyula Krúdy, Dezső Kosztolányi, Gyula Illyés, Antal Szerb, and Milán Füst.
The Poet of Mud – György Petri
"There is a deeper reason as to why György Petri—if not eternally, then at least enduringly—muddied up Hungarian poetry. And that reason is the poetics of the “unturned gaze.” A gaze which does not turn languidly toward the empty sky," — in this essay for HLO, Dávid Locker looks at the enduring presence in Hungarian poetry of György Petri.
Hungarian Classics in Translation: Part One
An introduction to classic Hungarian novels available in English translation. Including Mór Jókai, Kálmán Mikszáth, Zsigmond Móricz, Margit Kaffka, and Mihály Babits.
Imre Madách: The Tragedy of Man
In our new Starter Pack series, we hope to acquaint readers with some of Hungarian literature's most beloved and quoted literary works. To kick it off, Hanna Zelma Horányi introduces the classic play The Tragedy of Man by Imre Madách.
Kinga Tóth: I was let into the 700-year-old prayer room where I blew up my rubber gloves
"I wanted this book to be a songbook, prayer book, or genre-less book in which I try to speak to you with every technique available to me in my inventory," – András Greff speaks to Hungarian poet and artist Kinga Tóth about her new multimedia album AnnaMaria sings/singt/énekel.
The Hungarian Starter Pack Series
Announcing the Starter Pack series in which HLO introduces some of modern Hungarian literature's most beloved and quoted works.
Miklós Vámos: Beloved Raconteur, Affable Author
"Vámos’s oeuvre is saturated with honesty and forthrightness, with knowledge and curiosity, with sadness and humor. He lays bare his soul in front of his readers, and lets them ride shotgun as they travel with him" - a portrait of Miklós Vámos by Ági Bori.
Translator Paul Olchváry Has Passed Away
At age 58, literary translator, editor and publisher Paul Olchváry passed away unexpectedly on 14 February.
Kinga Tóth: Santa Muerte
An excerpt from Hungarian artist and poet Kinga Tóth's latest trilingual book Annamaria Sings Singt Énekel, published 2023 by Prae Kiadó and MODEM.
New Release: György Dragomán’s Third Book in French
György Dragomán’s third book in French translation has been published by Gallimard. Titled Le choeur des lions, it is a collection of short stories, in Joëlle Dufeuilly's translation.
