Famous Hungarian Writers

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 1 
Karl Polanyi
(Austro-Hungarian Economic Anthropologist, Economic Sociologist and Politician)
Karl Polanyi
5
Birthdate: October 25, 1886
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: April 23, 1964

Apart from being a political economist, Karl Polanyi was also a prominent Hungarian political leader. The Great Transformation remains his best-known work. He taught at institutes such as the Columbia University and is known for proposing the idea of a cultural version of economics known as substantivism.

 2 
George Friedman
(Political Scientist)
George Friedman
5
Birthdate: February 1, 1949
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary

A renowned international affairs strategist and geopolitical forecaster, George Friedman is also a New York Times bestselling author, having penned works such as The Storm Before the Calm and The Next 100 Years. He has also headed Stratfor as its CEO and has worked with various US military and government organizations.

 3 
Muhammad Asad
(For English Translation of Quran, 'The Message of The Qur'an")
Muhammad Asad
3
Birthdate: July 2, 1900
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lviv, Ukraine
Died: February 20, 1992

Austro-Hungarian journalist Leopold Weiss was a descendant of rabbis and ran away from home in his teens, taking up odd jobs, before finally becoming a journalist in Germany. His work took him to the Middle East, where he converted to Islam and adopted the name Muhammad Asad.

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 4 
Thomas Szasz
(Psychiatrist)
Thomas Szasz
5
Birthdate: April 15, 1920
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: September 8, 2012

Hungarian-American psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, who spent most of life teaching at the State University of New York Health Science Center, was known for his controversial claim that mental illnesses aren’t illnesses at all. Part of the anti-psychiatry movement, he penned books such as The Myth of Mental Illness.

 5 
Arthur Koestler
(Novelist and Journalist Best Known for His Books ‘Darkness at Noon’ and ‘The Thirteenth Tribe’)
Arthur Koestler
3
Birthdate: September 5, 1905
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: March 1, 1983

Arthur Koestler was a Hungarian-British journalist and author. He achieved international fame in 1940 when he published an anti-totalitarian novel titled Darkness at Noon. He was honored with the prestigious Sonning Prize in 1968. In 1972, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to the field of journalism.

 6 
Laszlo Krasznahorkai
(Novelist)
Laszlo Krasznahorkai
3
Birthdate: January 5, 1954
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gyula, Békés County, Hungary

Acclaimed Hungarian novelist and screenwriter Laszlo Krasznahorkai is known for his dystopian themes. Though he initially studied law, he later turned to full-time writing. Director Béla Tarr has turned many of his novels, such as Satantango, into films. Krasznahorkai also became the first Hungarian writer to win the Man Booker International Prize.

 7 
László Polgár
(Hungarian Chess Player)
László Polgár
0
Birthdate: May 11, 1946
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Gyöngyös, Hungary
 8 
Hannah Szenes
(Writer, Poet)
Hannah Szenes
5
Birthdate: July 17, 1921
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Budapest
Died: November 7, 1944

Hungarian Jewish poet and SOE member Hannah Szenes went down in history for voluntarily parachuting into occupied Europe during World War II to assist the Allied forces and the armed resistance against the Nazis. Captured at the Hungarian border, she was eventually tortured and executed by a firing squad.

 9 
Sándor Petőfi
(Former Hungary’s National Poet, and Was One of the Key Figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848)
Sándor Petőfi
3
Birthdate: January 1, 1823
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kiskőrös, Hungary
Died: July 31, 1849

Hungarian poet and revolutionary Sándor Petőfi is remembered as one of the pillars of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution, and his song Talpra Magyar became an anthem of the revolution. While he was initially part of the army, ill health got him dismissed soon. He also penned the epic fairy tale János vitéz.

 10 
Imre Kertész
(Hungarian Novelist)
Imre Kertész
3
Birthdate: November 9, 1929
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: March 31, 2016

Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian author Imre Kertész is best remembered for his Holocaust-themed writings. Sent to Auschwitz at 14 and then to Buchenwald, he was eventually freed in 1945, following which he became a journalist. His best-known work remains Fatelessness, a semi-autobiographical account of the Nazi terror.

 11 
Felix Salten
(Austro-Hungarian Writer and Literary Critic)
Felix Salten
3
Birthdate: September 6, 1869
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Pest, Budapest, Hungary
Died: October 8, 1945

Best known for penning the children’s classic Bambi, Felix Salten was forced to flee Vienna during the Nazi regime and eventually settled in Switzerland. His books were banned in Austria after Germany annexed the country, but that didn’t dent his popularity as an author. He was a skilled hunter, too.

 12 
Baroness Orczy
(British Novelist and Playwright Best Known for Her Series of Novels Featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel)
Baroness Orczy
2
Birthdate: September 23, 1865
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tarnaörs, Heves County, Hungary
Died: November 12, 1947

Best known for her historical novel The Scarlet Pimpernel, Hungarian-British novelist Emma Orczy was the only child of noted composer Baron Felix Orczy. While she initially studied art, she later took to writing. Apart from the Pimpernel sequels, she also penned several collections of detective stories, such as Lady Molly of Scotland Yard.

 13 
Ferenc Molnár
( Hungary’s Most Celebrated and Controversial Novelist and Playwright Known for His Novel 'The Paul Street Boys')
Ferenc Molnár
2
Birthdate: January 12, 1878
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: April 1, 1952

Known for his short stories and plays reflecting the life in Budapest, author Ferenc Molnár never identified with any particular literary movement. His best-known works include the short story anthology Muzsika and the novel The Paul Street Boys. Initially an aspiring lawyer, he later worked as a war correspondent.

 14 
Geza Rohrig
(Actor)
Geza Rohrig
5
Birthdate: May 11, 1967
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary

Best known for his performance as Saul Ausländer in the Academy Award-winning movie Son of Saul, Hungarian actor Geza Rohrig grew up in foster care and was initially interested in music. He is also a talented poet, who has dealt with themes such as the Holocaust in his works.

 15 
József Mindszenty
(Catholic priest)
József Mindszenty
3
Birthdate: March 29, 1892
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Csehimindszent
Died: May 6, 1975

Hungarian Catholic clergyman József Mindszenty was arrested more than once for opposing totalitarian governments. Eventually made the archbishop of Esztergom and a cardinal, he was later imprisoned by the communist government for refusing to secularize Catholic schools. Later freed, he underwent a 15-year voluntary confinement at the Hungarian US embassy.

 16 
Sándor Márai
(Hungarian Writer, Poet, and Journalist)
Sándor Márai
2
Birthdate: April 11, 1900
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Košice, Slovakia
Died: February 21, 1989

A descendant of a Hungarian noble family, Sándor Márai grew up to become a celebrated journalist. He was the first to review the works of Franz Kafka. He neither liked the Nazis nor the Communists. His best-known works include the novel Embers, which was later made into a stage play.

 17 
Olga Lengyel
(Writer)
Olga Lengyel
2
Birthdate: October 19, 1908
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Transylvania
Died: April 15, 2001

The author of Five Chimneys, an autobiographical account of her time as a prisoner at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Olga Lengyel was eventually the only survivor from her family. A physician’s assistant, she later moved to the US and formed the Memorial Library there, which now raises awareness about the Holocaust.

 18 
Attila József
(One of the Most Famous Hungarian Poets of the 20th Century)
Attila József
2
Birthdate: April 11, 1905
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: December 3, 1937

One of the greatest 20th-century Hungarian poets, Attila József was a washerwoman’s son and had begun writing poems since age 17 but soared to fame only after his death. He was also a co-founder of the literary journal Szép Szó, or Beautiful Word. He later showed signs of mental illnesses.

 19 
Max Nordau
(Physician, Author and Co-founder of World Zionist Organization)
Max Nordau
2
Birthdate: July 29, 1849
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pest, Budapest, Hungary
Died: January 23, 1923

Hungarian physician and author Max Nordau was the son of a rabbi. After practicing medicine in Budapest for a while, he went to Paris and began writing for Neue Freie Presse. A major figure behind the Zionist Organization, he penned The Conventional Lies of Our Civilization, which was banned in several countries.

 20 
Frigyes Karinthy
(Author)
Frigyes Karinthy
2
Birthdate: June 25, 1887
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: August 29, 1938

Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy was the first to state the concept of six degrees of separation, in his short story Chains. Initially a journalist, he later mastered the short story format and also penned novels such as Voyage to Faremido. He also wrote the script for the film The Stork Caliph.

 21 
Endre Ady
(One of the Greatest Hungarian Poets of the 20th Century)
Endre Ady
2
Birthdate: November 22, 1877
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Ady Endre, Romania
Died: January 27, 1919

Endre Ady was a Hungarian poet and journalist. Widely regarded as the 20th century's greatest Hungarian poet, Ady is credited with introducing a new, modern style of poetry, breaking away from the folksy style of Sándor Petőfi, which was widely followed by Hungarian poets at that time. In 1947, a postage stamp featuring Ady's likeness was issued by Hungary. 

 22 
Magda Szabó
(Novelist)
Magda Szabó
2
Birthdate: October 5, 1917
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Debrecen, Hungary
Died: November 19, 2007
 23 
Wolfgang von Kempelen
(Hungarian Author and Inventor Known for His Chess-Playing “Automaton” Hoax the Turk and for His Speaking Machine)
Wolfgang von Kempelen
2
Birthdate: January 23, 1734
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bratislava, Slovakia
Died: March 26, 1804

Known as an eccentric thinker, Wolfgang von Kempelen is best remembered for his automatic chess-playing machine The Turk and his speaking machine. The Turk eventually turned out to be a hoax, designed by Kempelen to impress Maria Theresa, the Austrian Empress, and had human chess players operating it.

 24 
Ödön von Horváth
(Writer)
Ödön von Horváth
2
Birthdate: December 9, 1901
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Rijeka, Croatia
Died: June 1, 1938

Born to an Austro-Hungarian diplomat, Ödön von Horváth grew up studying in Hungarian but later became one of the finest writers of German literature. The writer of iconic plays such as Italian Night and Tales from the Vienna Woods, he was a significant anti-fascist playwright. He died in a thunderstorm.

 25 
Árpád Göncz
(Former President of Hungary (1990 - 2000))
Árpád Göncz
4
Birthdate: February 10, 1922
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: October 6, 2015

The first democratic president of Hungary, Arpad Goncz had been part of the anti-Nazi resistance and also the anti-Soviet Hungarian Revolution of 1956, and was jailed for the latter. A father figure in Hungary, he earned the nickname Uncle Arpi. Post-retirement, he devoted himself to charitable causes.

 26 
Pal Benko
(Hungarian-American Chess Player)
Pal Benko
0
Birthdate: July 15, 1928
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Amiens, France
Died: August 25, 2019
 27 
János Arany
(Hungarian Poet Best Known for His Epic Poem 'Toldi' Trilogy)
János Arany
2
Birthdate: March 2, 1817
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Salonta, Romania
Died: October 22, 1882

Hungarian poet Janos Arany is regarded by many as the Shakespeare of ballads. Best known for his iconic epic poem Toldi, which was part of a trilogy, he had also been associated with the Hungarian Academy. He had initially been part of the Hungarian Revolution and later also taught for a while.

 28 
Miklos Radnoti
(Poet)
Miklos Radnoti
2
Birthdate: May 5, 1909
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Died: October 31, 1944

Regarded as one of the greatest 20th-century Hungarian poets, Miklos Radnoti initially worked in his family textile business and then switched to literature, writing for various little magazines. Sent to a forced labor camp, he was eventually murdered by the Hungarian Guards and dumped in a mass grave during the Holocaust.

 29 
Ivan Tors
(Playwright)
Ivan Tors
2
Birthdate: June 12, 1916
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Died: June 4, 1983

Ivan Tors was a Hungarian filmmaker, playwright, and screenwriter. He is remembered for producing sci-fi films with stories involving animals and underwater sequences. Tors is also credited with starting a film studio, which is now known as the Greenwich Studios. In 1989, he was posthumously honored by the Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences with a NOGI Award in Arts.

 30 
Franz Jalics
(Author)
Franz Jalics
2
Birthdate: November 16, 1927
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: February 13, 2021
 31 
Miklos Laszlo
(Playwright)
Miklos Laszlo
2
Birthdate: May 20, 1903
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: April 19, 1973
 32 
Ephraim Kishon
(Author)
Ephraim Kishon
2
Birthdate: August 23, 1924
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: January 29, 2005
 33 
Zsuzsanna Budapest
(Writer)
Zsuzsanna Budapest
2
Birthdate: January 30, 1940
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary

Besides being an author and a songwriter, Zsuzsanna Emese Mokcsay, a.k.a. Zsuzsanna Budapest, is also known for her Goddess-oriented witchcraft, Dianic Wicca, which she established in LA. She also founded the first women-only witches’ coven. She was initially married, and had 2 sons, but divorced after realizing she was a lesbian.

 34 
Béla Balázs
(Hungarian Film Critic, Aesthetician, Writer and a Proponent of Formalist Film Theory)
Béla Balázs
2
Birthdate: August 4, 1884
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Szeged, Hungary
Died: May 17, 1949

Hungarian author Béla Balázs, known for his Symbolist poems, also made pathbreaking studies in formalist film theory. He later established the Film Studies Institute of Hungary and also contributed to films such as The 3 Penny Opera. The Béla Balázs Prize, named after him, now honors talented cinematographers.

 35 
Martin Esslin
(Hungarian-British Dramatist, Journalist and Critic Known for Coining the Term 'Theatre of the Absurd' in His Book)
Martin Esslin
2
Birthdate: June 6, 1918
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: February 24, 2002

Hungarian-British producer and dramatist Martin Julius Esslin is best known for introducing the term "the theatre of the absurd” in his 1961 book of the same name. Apart from being a BBC scriptwriter and producer, he also taught at institutes such as Stanford. He died after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease.

 36 
George Tabori
(Writer)
George Tabori
2
Birthdate: May 24, 1914
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: July 23, 2007
 37 
Agota Kristof
(Writer)
Agota Kristof
1
Birthdate: October 30, 1935
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Csikvánd, Hungary
Died: July 27, 2011
 38 
Mór Jókai
(Novelist)
Mór Jókai
2
Birthdate: February 18, 1825
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Komarom, Hungary
Died: May 5, 1904
 39 
Dezső Kosztolányi
(Hungarian Poet)
Dezső Kosztolányi
2
Birthdate: March 29, 1885
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Subotica, Serbia
Died: November 3, 1936

Hungarian author Dezső Kosztolányi brought in futurism to Hungarian literature and wrote everything from plays to plays. Known for his novels such as Skylark and The Golden Kite, he also translated works of legends such as Shakespeare and Rilke. He was a lifelong journalist, too.

 40 
Egon Ronay
(Hungarian Food Critic Famous for Publishing Food Guides)
Egon Ronay
2
Birthdate: July 24, 1915
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: June 12, 2010

Born in Hungary, gourmet food critic Egon Ronay is best remembered for his guide books on British and Irish restaurants. The son of a restaurateur, he was part of the Hungarian Army and later moved to England. His Egon Ronay's Guide to British Eateries sold 30,000 copies and revolutionized food writing.

 41 
Mihály Vörösmarty
(Hungarian Poet and Dramatist)
Mihály Vörösmarty
1
Birthdate: December 1, 1800
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kápolnásnyék, Hungary
Died: November 19, 1855

Though born into a noble family, Mihály Vörösmarty had to face poverty from an early age and also sustained by tutoring. A trained lawyer, he later devoted himself to reforming Hungarian literature by removing all its classical influences. The play Csongor és Tünde remains one of his best-known works.

 42 
Péter Nádas
(Author)
Péter Nádas
1
Birthdate: October 14, 1942
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
 43 
Miklós Zrínyi
(Statesman, Military Leader, and Author of the First Epic Poem in Hungarian Literature)
Miklós Zrínyi
0
Birthdate: January 5, 1620
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Čakovec, Croatia
Died: November 18, 1664

Miklós Zrínyi was an able military leader of Hungary, who was determined to drive the Turks out of his country. He also authored Hungary’s first epic poem, The Peril of Sziget. Unfortunately, he was killed by a wild boar during a hunting expedition, though rumors suggest he was assassinated.

 44 
Zsigmond Móricz
(Novelist)
Zsigmond Móricz
1
Birthdate: June 29, 1879
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tiszacsécse, Hungary
Died: September 4, 1942
 45 
György Faludy
(Hungarian Poet, Writer and Translator)
György Faludy
1
Birthdate: September 22, 1910
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: September 1, 2006

Hungarian-born poet, writer and translator, György Faludy first came to fame with his erotic translation of the Ballads of Villon, raising official eyebrows with his next publication, collection of poems called A pompeji strázsan. However, his most notable work, My Happy Days in Hell, a memoir of time spent at labor camp, was published much later, earning him eternal fame.  

 46 
Janus Pannonius
(Croatian-Hungarian Latinist, poet, diplomat and Bishop of Pécs)
Janus Pannonius
0
Birthdate: August 29, 1434
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Čazma, Croatia
Died: March 27, 1472
 47 
Károly Eötvös
(Hungarian writer, lawyer, and politician)
Károly Eötvös
1
Birthdate: March 11, 1842
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mezőszentgyörgy, Hungary
Died: April 13, 1916

A well-known lawyer of his time, Károly Eötvös is best remembered for his role as a defense counsel in an iconic case on anti-Semitism, known widely as the 1883 Tiszaeszlár blood feud. He was also a famed author, known for works such as The Bakony, and had also been an MP.

 48 
Ferenc Kölcsey
(Hungarian Poet Who Wrote ‘Himnusz’ the National Anthem of Hungary)
Ferenc Kölcsey
1
Birthdate: August 8, 1790
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sauca, Romania
Died: August 24, 1838

Best remembered as the author of the Hungarian national anthem, Ferenc Kölcsey was orphaned and even lost an eye in childhood. Though a trained lawyer, he later focused on reviving Hungarian literature. He had also been part of the Hungarian Diet, as a prominent liberal leader.

 49 
Ferenc Kazinczy
(Hungarian Poet)
Ferenc Kazinczy
1
Birthdate: October 27, 1759
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Simian, Romania
Died: August 23, 1831

One of the best-known figures of Hungarian literature, poet, author, and translator Ferenc Kazinczy made significant contribution to the development of the Hungarian language. A qualified lawyer and a civil servant, he was once also imprisoned for political conspiracy.  He also co-founded the Hungarian Academy.

 50 
Mihály Babits
(Hungarian Poet Known for His Intense Religious Theme Poems)
Mihály Babits
1
Birthdate: November 26, 1883
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Szekszárd, Hungary
Died: August 4, 1941

Initially a secondary school teacher, Mihály Babits later taught Hungarian literature at the University of Budapest but was removed due to his pacifist views. He then devoted his life to writing and penned everything from poems to novels and short stories. Halálfiai remains one of his best-known works.