Magda Szabo

Magda Szabo is an acclaimed novelist, memoirist, and translator who has produced works of enduring influence in Hungarian and English-language literature. Szabo was born in Debrecen, Hungary, on December 5, 1917, and grew up in Transylvania, part of Romania at the time. After her mother and father passed away when she was still a young girl, Szabo and her two brothers were placed in the care of a local family. She attended school in Cluj and began writing in her teenage years, first publishing short stories in magazines before turning to novels.

Szabo has written works like "The Door" and "Iza's Ballad", both of which draw on her childhood experiences. She has also penned several memoirs and translated works by Shakespeare and Sartre. Her novel "The Door" is perhaps her best known work and it was translated into English in 2007. In it, Szabo crafts a compelling tale of a relationship between an older woman, Emerenc, and a younger woman, Magda, that is colored by the cultural norms of the period. The characters weave in and out of each other’s lives as they explore themes of responsibility and duty while attempting to find their place in the world.

Another of Szabo’s works is 1993's "Abigail". In this novel, Szabo tells the story of Abigail, a Jewish girl living in pre-WWII Hungary. Abigail grows up with a sense of responsibility that she feels compelled to fulfill. Her responsibilities stem from her father’s teaching that she must respect the traditions of the Jewish faith and that she must also protect those who cannot protect themselves. Through Abigail’s journey, Szabo conveys the beauty, complexity, and tragedy of life in a world plagued by political strife.

Szabo’s works have been met with both critical and popular acclaim. She is the recipient of several awards, including the prestigious Kossuth Prize and the Austrian State Prize for European Literature, and her works have been translated into numerous languages. In 2015, Szabo was posthumously featured on a postal stamp commemorating her life and work. Despite her death in 2007, her legacy continues to inspire new generations of artists, writers, and readers.

Szabo’s writing speaks to the universality of human experience. Her stories bring us into contact with a world filled with heartache and joy. Her characters, though sometimes flawed, demonstrate a level of strength and resilience that radiates off the page. Szabo’s works are reflections on the possibility of both personal and collective redemption. Her stories allow us to see that, in spite of our differences, we all share a common experience of love, loss, and ultimately, hope.