György Dalos's Leipzig Book Award

This year's Leipzig Book Award for European Understanding was given to Hungarian author György Dalos for his whole oeuvre, and in particular his book Der Vorhang geht auf – Das Ende der Diktaturen in Osteuropa, released in Germany last year.

Terézia Mora's German literary prize

Hungarian-born writer gets Chamisso Prize

This year's Chamisso Prize, named after the poet and researcher Adelbert von Chamisso (1781–1838), was awarded to Terézia Mora, born in Sopron, Hungary.

Author-translator Clara Györgyey dies at 74

From a distance, keenly

visegradliterature.net

A new online literary anthology

A new website has been launched with some 200 authors and a total of over 1000 texts comprising the best writing from Visegrád Group nations for online access in Hungarian, Slovakian, Czech, Polish, English and German.

Working in Einstein's house

Péter Zilahy: a guest in Berlin

Living and working in Albert Einstein's former Berlin residence, Péter Zilahy is writing about the architectural dimensions of the German capital. This year's Albert Einstein Scholarship recipient said he would be writing essays in the autumn, then carrying on his novel which he plans to finish sometime next year.

Kertész birthday interview causes controversy

Authors, critics comment on "Balkanization" backlash

On the occasion of Imre Kertész's 80th birthday, the German daily Die Welt featured an interview with the author. The Hungarian translation stirred up storms of controversy as soon as it came out in Hungary at the end of last week.

The Hungarian Quarterly, Autumn 2009

Radnóti, Krasznahorkai, Szirtes

Miklós Radnóti (1909–1944) is one of the most translated Hungarian poets. The Hungarian Quarterly's selection of his poems, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth, is intended to show how his poetry has been kept alive by contemporary British and American poets.

Antal Szerb's The Queen's Necklace in English

The eve of the French Revolution

Why did the French Revolution break out? Antal Szerb's novel (or historical essay, as some of its critics called it) gives us more than a hint. In his usual witty and amusing style, Szerb tells the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, a characteristic episode of the decline of the ancien régime.

Hungarian Cultural Season in NY and Washington

To be continued in Autumn 2009

The 2009 Hungarian Cultural Season in New York and Washington will continue in September with lots of events showcasing Hungarian history, culture and creativity.

Imre Kertész was awarded the Jean Améry Prize 

Saints of the Holocaust

The 2009 Jean Améry Prize for essay writing was awarded to Imre Kertész, the Stuttgart publisher Klett-Cotta announced on Thursday.