File:Arthur_Koestler_(1969).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Arthur Koestler
Sign in to saveAlso known as Kösztler Artúr
Hungarian-British author and journalist (1905–1983)
Arthur Koestler was a Hungarian-British author and journalist (1905–1983) best known for his novels and essays exploring politics, science, and human nature. His work, particularly his examination of totalitarianism and the Communist movement, influenced twentieth-century intellectual thought and remains relevant to debates about ideology and power.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 5 September 1905
- Died
- 1 March 1983
- Works
- 291
Top works
- The yogi and the commissar
- Đêm Hay Ngày
- Darkness at noon
- Afelah ba-tsohorayim
- Reünie
via Open Library + Wikidata
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Arthur
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Hungary
- Place of birth
- Budapest
- Place of death
- London
- Occupation
- political scientist
- Educated at
- TU Wien
- Political party
- Communist Party of Germany
- Languages spoken
- French
- Award
- Sonning Prize
- Notable work
- The Thirteenth Tribe
- Genre
- psychology
- Movement
- journalism
- Conflict
- Spanish Civil War
- Image
- Arthur Koestler (1969).jpg
- Work location
- London
Show 15 more facts
- Commons category
- Arthur Koestler
- date of birth
- 1905-09-05
- date of death
- 1983-03-01
- topic's main category
- Category:Arthur Koestler
- member of
- Modern Language Association
- medical condition
- Parkinson's disease
- manner of death
- Suicide
- name in native language
- Kösztler Artúr
- lifestyle
- mysticism
- ethnic group
- Jewish people
- cause of death
- intoxication
- place of detention
- Stade Roland Garros
- writing language
- English language
- start of work period
- 1934-00-00
- P8168
- acetone cyanohydrin
via Wikidata · CC0
Works in European collections
2 objects attributed to Arthur Koestler, held across European museums, libraries & archives · via Europeana
~40 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Arthur Koestler CBE ( UK: /ˈkɜːstlər/, US: /ˈkɛst-/; German: [ˈaʁtuːɐ̯ ˈkœstlɐ]; Hungarian: Kösztler Artúr [ˈkøstlɛr ˈɒrtuːr]; 5 September 1905 – 1 March 1983) was an Austro-Hungarian-born author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest, and was educated in Austria, apart from his early school years. In 1931, Koestler joined the Communist Party of Germany but resigned in 1938 after becoming disillusioned with Stalinism.
Having moved to Britain in 1940, Koestler published his novel Darkness at Noon, an anti-totalitarian work that gained him international fame. Over the next 43 years, Koestler espoused many political causes and wrote novels, memoirs, biographies, and numerous essays. In 1949, Koestler began secretly working with a British Cold War anti-communist propaganda department known as the Information Research Department (IRD), which would republish and distribute many of his works, and also fund his activities. In 1968, he was awarded the Sonning Prize "for [his] outstanding contribution to European culture". In 1972, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Arthur Koestler” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.