Hungarian Kossuth Prize-winning writer Czakó dies

After a long illness, Gábor Czakó, the Kossuth and Attila József Prize-winning writer, critic, linguist and artist of the nation, passed away at dawn on Wednesday at the age of 82, his family announced.

Gábor Czakó was born in 1942 in Decs. He graduated in law from the University of Pécs in 1965 and worked as a lawyer until 1972, Index writes.

In 1990, he was an advisor to Prime Minister József Antall. From 1997 to 2001, he was a member of the advisory board of MTI’s owners, representing the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP).

His major works include the 1978 novel Várkonyi krónika (The Chronicle of Várkonyi) and the novel Luca néni föltámadása (The Resurrection of Aunt Luca), published in 1987. His novel Megváltó (The Saviour), which was heavily censored in its first edition, was an attempt to develop an epic portrayal of a broader sociological and behavioural-psychological age.

His work has been honoured with numerous awards: the Helikon Sculpture Prize (1960), the Attila József Prize (1975), the Contemporary Prize (1994), the János Arany Prize (2000), the Gáspár Nagy Prize (2008), the Pro Literatura Prize (2008), the Stephanus Prize (2009), the Prima Prize (2010).

In 2011, he was awarded the Kossuth Prize for his contribution to the organisation of Hungarian Catholic journalism education, the creation of the television essay genre, and his versatile and genre-rich literary work.

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