Péter Esterházy (14 April 1950 – 14 July 2016) was a Hungarian writer. He was one of the best known Hungarian and Central European and his books were considered to be significant contributions to post-war literature.

Biography

Esterházy was born in Budapest on 14 April 1950, the eldest son of Mátyás Esterházy de Galántha (1919–1998) (Count Esterházy until 1947, when all titles and ranks were abolished) and Magdolna Mányoki (1916–1980). His paternal grandfather was Count Móric Esterházy (1881–1960), who briefly served as Prime Minister of Hungary in 1917. Through his paternal grandmother Countess Margit Károlyi (1896–1975), one of his ancestors was Count Gyula Károlyi (1871–1947), also Prime Minister from 1931 to 1932. Péter had three younger brothers, including international football player Márton Esterházy (born 1956).

Esterházy was educated as a mathematician and began to write in the 1970s.

He was married to Margit Reén, and had four children. He died on 14 July 2016.

Ancestry

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 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, 2001, 2004)
  • Not Art (Semmi művészet, 2008, 2010)

International awards

  • Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France
  • Order of Cultural Merit (:ro:Ordinul „Meritul Cultural” (România)), Romania
  • Austrian State Prize for European Literature, Austria
  • Herder Prize, Austria and Germany
  • Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, Germany
  • Angelus Award, Poland
  • , Italy
  • International Masi Grosso d'Oro Veneziano Prize, Italy

Membership

  • Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung (Darmstadt)
  • Akademie der Künste (Berlin)

References

Further reading

  • Obituary published in Die Welt (in German)

Bibliography

  • Tötösy de Zepetnek, Steven (斯蒂文·托托西演). 文学研究的合法化: 一种新实用主义 ·整体化和经主 义文学与文化研究方法 (Legitimizing the Study of Literature: A New Pragmatism and the Systemic Approach to Literature and Culture). Trans. Ma Jui-ch'i (马瑞琪翻). Beijing: Peking University Press, 1997. 111–134.
  • Tötösy de Zepetnek, Steven. "Cultures, Peripheralities, and Comparative Literature." Comparative Literature: Theory, Method, Application. By Steven Tötösy de Zepetnek. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1998. 121–175.
  • Video Interview PEN World Voices at LIVE from the New York Public Library 4 May 2008
  • A comprehensive record on him in Hungarian Literature Database