Péter Esterházy is one of the most widely known contemporary Hungarian writers. His books are significant contributions to postwar literature. He studied mathematics at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest; he started to publish in literary journals in 1974. He worked as a mathematician from 1974 to 1978, then he became a freelance writer in 1978. His works have been published in more than 20 languages. He has earned almost every literary distinction in Hungary, including the prestigious Kossuth Prize in 1996, and has received awards for his work in France, Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Norway.
