Péter Esterházy
Encyclopedia
Péter Esterházy is one of the most widely known contemporary Hungarian writers. His books are considered to be significant contributions to postwar literature.
He studied mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at ELTE
Elte
Elte can refer to the following:* Elte, North Rhine-Westphalia, former township now integrated into Rheine, Germany.* Eötvös Loránd University, a University in Budapest.* Harry Elte, Dutch architect.* E. L. Elte, Dutch mathematician...
university in Budapest from 1969 to 1974; his first writings were published in literary journals in 1974. He worked as a mathematician from 1974 to 1978, and he became a freelance writer in 1978.
Esterházy, the scion of a comital branch of the Esterházy magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
family, is perhaps best known outside of his native country for Celestial Harmonies (Harmonia Caelestis, 2000) which chronicles his forefathers' epic rise during the Austro-Hungarian empire – when Haydn composed music at the family palace – to its dispossession under communism.
His next novel, Revised Edition (Javított kiadás, 2002), which appeared as an "appendix" to the former work, was born from the shock when he learnt that his father was an informer for the secret police of the Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
era. The book deals with the research work as a diary, his father's unfolding activity, and the very process of his facing and digesting the facts.
His works have been published in more than 20 languages. He has won almost every literary distinction in Hungary, including the prestigious Kossuth Prize
Kossuth Prize
The Kossuth Prize is a state-sponsored award in Hungary, named after the Hungarian politician and revolutionary Lajos Kossuth. The Prize was established in 1948 by the Hungarian National Assembly, to acknowledge outstanding personal and group achievements in the fields of...
in 1996, and has received awards for his work in France, Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Norway.
Works published in English
(The italicized dates refer to original publication, other dates refer to the English-language publications.)- Helping Verbs of the Heart (A szív segédigéi, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1996)
- The Transporters (Fuharosok, 1983, 1991, 1994)
- The Book of HrabalHrabalHrabal * Bohumil Hrabal, the most famous Hrabal* Jaroslav Hrabal* Josef Hrabal* Ladislav Hrabal* 4112 Hrabal...
(Hrabal könyve, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996) - The Glance of Countess Hahn-Hahn (Down the Danube) (Hahn-Hahn grófnő pillantása, 1991, 1994, 1998, 1999)
- She loves me (Egy nő, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998)
- A Little Hungarian Pornography (Kis magyar pornográfia, 1984, 1995, 1997)
- Celestial Harmonies : A Novel (Harmonia Caelestis, 2000, 2004)
International awards
- Vilenica PrizeVilenica PrizeThe Vilenica Prize is awarded annually by the Slovene Writers' Association to a Central European author for his or her achievements in the field of literature and essay writing...
, Slovenia (1988, 1998) - Ordre des Arts et des LettresOrdre des Arts et des LettresThe Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
, France (1992, 1994, 2003) - Prize of the Literary Festival in Rome, Italy (1993)
- Bjørnson Prize, Norway (1995)
- Austrian State Prize, Austria (1999)
- Herder PrizeHerder PrizeThe Herder Prize, established in 1963 and named for Johann Gottfried von Herder, was a prestigious international prize dedicated to the promotion of scientific, art and literature relations, and presented to scholars and artists from Central and Southeastern Europe whose life and work have improved...
, Austria (2002) - Peace Prize of the German Book TradePeace Prize of the German Book TradeThe Peace Prize of the German Book Trade is an international peace prize given yearly at the Frankfurt Book Fair in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main, Germany...
at Frankfurt Book FairFrankfurt Book FairThe Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's largest trade fair for books, based on the number of publishing companies represented. As to the number of visitors, the Turin Book Fair attracts about as many visitors, viz. some 300,000....
(2004)
He has also received nearly 20 awards in his native country.
Membership
- Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und DichtungDeutsche Akademie für Sprache und DichtungThe Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung was founded on August 28, 1949—the 200th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe—in Paulskirche in Frankfurt...
(Darmstadt) - Akademie der KünsteAkademie der KünsteThe Akademie der Künste, Berlin is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution where members could meet and discuss and share ideas...
(Berlin) - Académie Européenne des Sciences, des Arts et des Lettres
About him
- "Esterhazy's prose is jumpy, allusive, and slangy. ...there is vividness, an electric crackle. The sentences are active and concrete. Physical details leap from the murk of emotional ambivalence." (John UpdikeJohn UpdikeJohn Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
, The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
)
External links
- Video Interview PEN World Voices at LIVE from the New York Public Library May 4, 2008
- A comprehensive record on him in Hungarian Literature Database
- Biography, Quotes, Publications
- Hungarian wins German book prize (BBC)
- Honoring a European Troublemaker (Deutsche Welle)
- Esterházy: in the beginning was football (interview)
- Review of "She Loves Me" (Uno Mas)
- Review of "She Loves Me" (Babelguides)
- His recent articles in the weekly Hungarian newspaper Élet és IrodalomÉlet és IrodalomÉlet és Irodalom is a weekly Hungarian newspaper about literature and politics. It is considered a postmodernist and politically liberal periodical, politically close to the left-wing parties MSZP and SZDSZ....