A scarce signed, dated & located 1st printing of this important novel from acclaimed Hungarian author and screenwriter László Krasznahorkai (b. 1954).  He has written a series of highly-rated books, starting with his 1985 debut 'Satantango ', which was memorably adapted into a 7-hour film by director Béla Tarr in 1994 (and finally translated into English in 2012).  The author won the 2015 International Booker Prize shortly after this book was published in the UK, the final author to do this for their whole body of work, rather than for an individual novel.



** On 9 October 2025, he was announced as the Winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize for Literature by the Nobel Academy in Stockholm.  He is only the 2nd Hungarian winner of the most prestigious Prize in the literary world (after the late Imre Kertész in 2002) **







'Seiobo There Below ' published by Tuskar Rock Press on 7 May 2015, UK 1st edition/1st printing, standard modern hardback, [viii] + 451 pages.  First published in Hungary in 2008.  Translated from the Hungarian by Ottilie Mulzet (the translator won the Best Translated Book Award).






Hand signed by the author in black pen at the title page, where he has also dated and located this from his appearance on 24 May 2015 at the Hay Festival in a talk with Marina Warner.  This was only 5 days after his Booker Prize International win (which in itself was only 12 days after the UK publication date). 


The book is signed to 'Dotti', which is an important Booker Prize association.  This book is one of a number of books I have acquired which were from the collection of Dotti Irving, the founder of the communications agency Colman Getty, which handled the submissions process for all Booker Prizes from 1993 to 2022 (as well as PR, marketing, event management etc) and they devised a numbering system ensuring the multiple copies of the 150+ books to be read each year by the judging panel were sent out with the same number on each title for ease of reference.  She was also instrumental in setting up the Booker Prize Foundation in 2002.  She got to know many of the authors in the Booker process and accumulated a library of winning books and shortlisted titles, many of which were signed.



Internally in fine condition, with no inscriptions or markings. 


Externally in near fine condition, tightly bound, sharp corners, light wear at spine ends, small production/storage bump to the rear top edge near the upper corner (see photo 10), the text block has some light tanning, which is a common feature with this title.


Dustjacket in near fine condition, designed by Harry Haysom and is unclipped at £16.99, the dustjacket is also the preferred first state without the subsequent sticker that was added after the author won the 2015 International Booker Prize.   A few small areas of light wear at spine ends, upper corners and top edge.


This also comes with Dotti Irving's ticket for the event (now somewhat faded) and a copy of the Man Booker Prize 2015 booklet, detailing all past winners and shortlisted titles etc, with the author being featured on page 35 (Marina Warner who hosted the Hay event was the Chair of the 2015 judging panel).  The booklet has some light wear and stain marks to the rear wrapper and the centre page.







** A very presentable signed copy of the first UK printing of this highly regarded work from our 2025 Nobel Laureate, made extra special being also dated & located by the author at the Hay event, and also from its dedication to Dotti Irving, an important person involved within the Booker Prize system for 3 decades **





** The handful of signed UK 1st printings listed globally across Ebay, ABE Books and other book sites at present, are all priced upwards of £800 **








Beauty, in this László Krasznahorkai novel, reflects, however fleeting, the sacred - even if we are mostly unable to bear it.  In Seiobo There Below we see the Japanese goddess Seiobo returning to mortal realms in search of perfection.  An ancient Buddha being restored; the Italian renaissance painter Perugino managing his workshop; a Japanese Noh actor rehearsing; a fanatic of Baroque music lecturing to a handful of old villagers; tourists intruding into the rituals of Japan's most sacred shrine; a heron as it gracefully hunts its prey. 



Told in chapters that sweep us across the world and through time, covering the furthest reaches of human experience, Krasznahorkai demands that we pause and ask ourselves these questions: What is sacred?  How do we define beauty?  What makes great art endure? 






Melancholic and mesmerisingly beautiful, this novel by the author of Satantango shows us how to glimpse the divine through extraordinary art and human endeavour. 













Estimated non-UK postage costs by signed for airmail delivery - Europe £19, Japan/Canada £34, Aus/NZ £33, US £33.   Additional books can always be added to a combined order for an additional postage cost based on extra 0.25kg bands of weight, with an extra postage cost per extra 0.25kg of £1.20 for Europe / £2.00 everywhere else - please contact if any questions.
 



 
 
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